


We All Need That Person

by CiciWeezil



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Irondad, M/M, Multi, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), spiderson
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2020-02-27 10:51:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 48,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18737554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CiciWeezil/pseuds/CiciWeezil
Summary: What if it hadn't been Tony who had put on the gauntlet?We'd still have Irondad and Spiderson.Endgame Spoilers ahead (read the tags!)





	1. I Am A Question To The World

**Author's Note:**

> I can't get this thing out of my head, so I'm just going to do it. I'm going to write an Endgame fix, because I can't find one that goes exactly how I imagine it, so yeah. I'm mostly writing this for me, but I'm posting for my fellow broken humans that are not at all okay right now.
> 
> This has not been beta-read. 
> 
> More tags will be added if necessary. 
> 
> As of right now, no archive warnings apply, but if you've read any of my other stories, then you're well aware I am unkind to my characters. 
> 
> Above all, the goal of this fic is to save Irondad and Spiderson.
> 
> Eventually, potato gun kid will make an appearance, too. 
> 
> I have some idea of where I want this story to go, but I haven't quite decided on the specifics. 
> 
> So, sit back, relax, and let Tony and his Son™ fix your broken heart.

It’s over.

That was Carol’s first thought when Thanos destroyed the van containing the portal to the quantum realm.

There’s got to be another way.

That was her next thought. 

But Thanos was coming towards her, a victorious grin on his ugly purple face. She didn’t have time to think of anything else.

Time.

Something Stark had told her five years ago returned to the forefront of her thoughts. The time wizard - Dr. Strange - had seen fourteen billion possibilities for the outcome of this war. Only one of them had a happy ending.

And assuming this was the one, then that meant this moment - this one moment - was the pivotal moment. It was do or die, now or never, and every other cliche that she couldn’t think of. 

“How many times do you Terrans have to fail before you give up?” asked Thanos as he approached. “I’ve already succeeded in this timeline, and I will do it again.”

“No, you won’t,” said Carol, making a decision that she hoped she would not regret.

“Oh, and why is that?” asked Thanos, amused.

“Because… they didn’t have me last time,” she told him boldly, standing up with the gauntlet still in her hands.

“And what makes you so special?”

She glanced at Strange, who nodded. “I’m Captain Marvel.”

And then she slid the gauntlet onto her hand.

The power was overwhelming at first, more than she’d ever felt in her life. She fought for control for what seemed like ages, but was probably only an instant in reality. She brought her hand to eye level, looked at a surprised and possibly fearful Thanos straight in the eyes, and snapped.

* * *

It was over, truly over. Thanos and his armies were gone. Carol had done it. 

Tony gave her a grateful look before turning his attention to his first priorities.

Pepper and Peter.

He didn’t have far to look. Pepper landed next to him as soon as the last of the scourge had vanished. 

Peter was nearby, making his way through the wreckage of the Avengers headquarters towards them.

“We did it,” said Pepper.

Tony smiled for the first time in a while. “Yeah, we did.”

“Mr. Stark!” cried Peter, running up to them. “Miss Potts! What happened? I mean, I know we just defeated Thanos, but like, I feel like I’m missing a few important pieces here?”

Tony didn’t answer, merely stepping forward and pulling Peter into a second hug. 

When they pulled apart, Peter glanced between Pepper and Tony. “How long… was I gone?”

“We’ll tell you everything,” said Tony. “Just give us a little time. Cap needs us.”

“And we’ll take you to see your aunt as soon as we can,” said Pepper. 

Peter’s eyes widened at the mention of his aunt. “She is so going to ground me when she finds out I went to space.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Attention fellow fanfic readers: You're invited to the Discord Server Beta On It: https://discord.gg/7u7qvBU. Here you can interact with me, my beta and fellow ficwriter Leahcar260, and other readers. Come join us!


	2. Not An Answer To Be Heard

They didn’t leave for NYC right away. Captain America had called the Avengers and their allies to an impromptu meeting. There was quite a bit to discuss. Thankfully, T’Challa offered his palace as temporary accommodations. 

The sorcerers opened multiple portals to Wakanda for them all, including the Wakandan warriors who were ready to return home.

T’Challa led the group to a meeting hall containing a large round table with many chairs around it. He took the seat that faced the doorway, his back to the huge window, and beckoned everyone else to pick their own.

It was, perhaps, the largest collection of gifted and powerful people in the world. 

The Wakandans included T’Challa, Nakia, Shuri, and Okoye (who stood behind her king rather than sit down).

Most of the Guardians were there - Quill, Rocket, Groot, Mantis, and Drax. The alternate Gamora was noticeably missing, though Nebula did not say where she was. 

Dr. Strange brought only Wong with him, leaving the other sorcerers to themselves.

Carol, looking exhausted but virtually unharmed, took a seat almost directly across from T’Challa. 

The Avengers and those affiliated with them were by far the largest group. Tony put Pepper on one side of him and Peter on the other. Rhodey sat on Pepper’s other side, while Bruce took the empty seat on Peter’s other side, and then took pity on Scott, beckoning him and his wife to take the two chairs next to him.

Steve, Bucky, and Sam took places nearby. Clint sat with Wanda, near Thor and Valkyrie, a mixture of emotions in both their eyes. 

Once everyone was settled, T’Challa stood, and all eyes turned to him.

“Welcome, everyone, to Wakanda,” he said, holding out his arms in an open gesture. “I am King T’Challa, though many of you may know me as the Black Panther. I have asked you all here because you have taken part in what might be the most critical moment in the history of the universe since its creation. 

“This impossible battle that we have fought, this war that we have won, will be told and retold for ages to come. Each of us has played a part in this story, however small, but only a few of us know all of the facts. I, myself, was one of the… vanished. And while it felt like just mere seconds for me, Okoye tells me it has been five years.”

T’Challa let them all process that for a moment. Judging by the glances around the room, this was news to quite a few people.

“The world has changed,” T’Challa continued. “The universe has changed. Even some of our friends and family have changed. I can see the questions on some of your faces, and I certainly have several of my own. But let us listen to the full story before we move further.”

T’Challa looked to Tony and Steve, who glanced at each other. With a mutual nod, they both stood. 

Tony took a deep breath. “Right… So, this part is going to require some background knowledge.”

“Are you a college professor, now?” asked Peter in a serious tone.

“Hey, hey, you heard King Panther,” Tony reprimanded. “No questions ‘til the end.”

There was a snicker from across the table, and a young female voice muttering, “King Panther.” It was Shuri, T’Challa’s teenage sister.

Tony and T’Challa looked at each other.

“If you two want to be in the adult meeting,” said T’Challa. “Then you need to act like adults.”

Shuri gave him an annoyed look but said nothing, while Peter looked like he was shrinking into his chair.

Tony sighed. “Now that’s out of the way, is there anyone in here who hasn’t heard of the Infinity Stones?”

Peter’s hand raised, along with Groot’s, Mantis’ and Drax’s.

“Raise your hand, Quill,” said Drax.

“Why?” asked Quill. “I’ve heard of them. Heck, we HAD one of them. Remember that?”

Drax and Mantis stared at him.

“I am groot,” said Groot to Rocket, who laughed.

“Hey! You watch your tone or you’ll be sitting outside,” said Quill.

Tony cleared his throat. “Okay, look, they’re very powerful stones that have been around since the universe was formed.”

“What are?” asked Drax.

“The Infinity Stones,” said Steve, coming to Tony’s rescue. “Are very powerful stones that have been around since the universe was formed.”

“Oh,” said Drax. “Why didn’t you say so?”

Tony facepalmed, realizing suddenly that this was going to be a long meeting.

“Moving on…” said Tony.

They spent the next hour and a half explaining about the stones and Thanos (“Hey, we know him,” said Mantis.) and his mission to erase half the population of the universe using the stones.

They explained about Stephen Strange’s use of the Time Stone to find the one solution that would have a virtually happy ending. 

Thanos’ crusade to collect the stones and place them in his gauntlet went a lot faster than expected, as Tony and Steve decided to leave out the tedious explanations of the histories of each of the stones, sufficing everyone’s curiosity with their location at the time.

“And then, he snapped his fingers,” said Steve. “And vanished. He succeeded in wiping out half of the universe.”

There was silence.

“Our next goal was… figuring out who was still here…” Steve continued to explain the mass reaction across the globe, the arrival of Carol Danvers, the retrieval of Tony and Nebula from space (“You stole my ship!” cried Quill), followed by locating and killing Thanos after he’d destroyed the stones.

Then… five years passed. Steve gave them a quick summary about what they’d all been up to during that time, glazing over details, particularly Hawkeye’s.

“And everything probably would have stayed that way,” said Steve. “If Scott hadn’t shown up.”

Tony took over for the explanation of the science-y parts, and Bruce, Rocket, Scott, and Thor each put in their two cents about choosing when the best time to find the stones was. Nebula said very little, but that was much more than Clint, who was stone-silent.

They took turns once more to tell their individual stories of gathering the stones.

“What about the soul stone?” asked Wanda after no one had mentioned it. “And what happened to Natasha?”

“The soul stone required a sacrifice,” said Clint.

There was an intake of breath around the room as they all put two and two together. And then, a chair screeched as Quill abruptly stood and left the room.

“He’ll be fine,” said Rocket, sounding as though he were trying to convince himself.

“I think a recess might be a good idea,” said T’Challa. “There are still many things we must discuss after we hear the rest.”

* * *

The moment he stood up, Peter had a familiar uncomfortable feeling in his lower abdomen. 

“Uh, Mr. Stark?”

“Tony,” Tony quickly corrected.

“T-Tony…” 

“What’s wrong, kid?” asked Tony, concerned.

“I-I really need to use the bathroom,” Peter said. “But I don’t know where it is.”

“Oh, um,” Tony looked around, and, apparently spotting something helpful, he grabbed Peter by the arm and dragged him across the room. 

“Stark,” said the tall warrior lady who dwarfed them both.

“Hey, Okoye,” said Tony. “Could you point us to the little boys’ room?”

Okoye furrowed her brow.

“Right this way, colonizers,” said a younger voice. Shuri dramatically motioned to the doors.

“There you go, Pete,” said Tony, giving him a small shove. “She’ll show you where it is.”

“Wha-? But, Mr. Stark-”

“It’s Tony.”

“Are you coming?” asked Shuri, holding open the door.

“Y-yeah,” said Peter, following her. She led him to the nearest restroom, which was just down the hall from the conference room they’d been in.

Upon finding her waiting for him when he came out, Peter’s stutter quickly returned.

“Do you act like this around every girl?” asked Shuri. 

Peter took a deep breath. “It’s not because you’re a girl…”

“Alright,” said Shuri, accepting this. “Is it because my brother is the king?”

“N-no!” cried Peter. “I mean, it’s really cool that you’re a princess and all but… actually, it’s not you… I’ve just… I’m still kinda new to this superhero stuff and I’m not used to meeting so many awesome people all at once. The only people I really know are Mr. - Tony and P-Pepper.”

“For someone so new to being a superhero, you’re not half-bad at it,” said Shuri.

“Thanks, you too,” said Peter. “I mean it… I saw you out there… during the battle. Those arm cannon things? Amazing.”

“You think I’m amazing, Spider-boy?” asked Shuri with a smirk.

“It’s Spiderman, actually.”

“We’ll see,” said Shuri.

* * *

When they reconvened, Steve and Tony once again took over telling how Thanos’ had used the Nebulas’ connection to discover his own future and follow them to their time, his army in tow.

“And that’s when we all appeared and saved your asses,” said Quill.

Scott looked between the Guardians and the Avengers. “Did I miss something? I thought the glowing lady saved us all. She snapped Thanos out of existence.”

“I have a name,” snapped Carol. 

“Okay, I forgot it,” said Scott. “Do you even know mine?”

Carol shrugged. “Good point.”

“Wait, neither of you got dusted. How do you not know each other?” asked Peter. 

“We didn’t meet until today,” said Carol.

“Dusted?” asked Tony.

“What, too soon?” asked Shuri.

“Way too soon,” said Rhodey.

T’Challa stood up once more. “Now that we all know what happened, I believe it may be best if we do some actual introductions before we go any further.”

“How about two truths and a lie?” offered Shuri.

“No, I suck at that game,” said Peter.

“We’re not doing that,” said Tony.

“How do you play?” asked Quill.

“We don’t have time for that,” said T’Challa.

“Maybe another day,” said Steve.

“Don’t encourage them,” Tony told them.

T’Challa cleared his throat. “Has it occurred to anyone that, as the persons responsible, or at least knowledgeable of, these events, we will have to face the leaders of this world to explain it all?”

They grew quiet again.

“Before we step into the spotlight, it would be best if everyone was prepared,” said T’Challa.

Peter glanced at Tony in a slight panic. As if sensing this, Tony wrapped a protective arm around him, rubbing his shoulder reassuringly.

“You won’t be in any spotlight,” Tony whispered. “As soon as we’re done here, I’m taking you to see your aunt.”

Peter smiled and leaned into him a little - just a little, and listened as T’Challa led the remaining discussion. At some point, plates of food were placed in front of them. Peter barely noticed what he was eating.

He could feel it coming - the exhaustion. He suddenly wanted to crawl into his bed in his and Aunt May’s apartment and take a very long nap. 

At the same time, he didn’t want Tony to let go of him. Tony had changed. He wasn’t the same person he’d been when they’d left Earth together, though Peter wasn’t sure how to describe it. He was certainly treating Peter differently. 

A sudden noise of chairs snatched Peter out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see everyone getting up, some leaving, and others gathering in conversation.

Tony shook him gently. “Time to go, Spidey.”


	3. Or A Moment That's Held In Your Arms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ****Trigger Warning: One of the characters in this chapter has a panic attack. This may adversely affect some readers.****

Thanks to Dr. Strange, the trip to NYC was quick and easy. It was just Tony and Peter. Pepper had gone home to Morgan (who Peter hoped to meet soon), where Happy was babysitting.

They stepped out of Wakanda and into Tony’s personal living space at Stark Tower. It looked like it hadn’t been used in a few years.

“So Stark Industries kept going?” asked Peter, trying to organize everything he’d just learned in his own mind. There was so much to take in.

“Yeah,” said Tony, picking up a tablet and typing. “Pepper and I ran things from our home. It’s mostly focused on humanitarian things…”

Peter nodded.

“Looks like your aunt is home. I had Friday call her and tell her we’re in here in New York.”

“Thanks,” said Peter. He’d talked to his aunt from Tony’s Starkphone about an hour ago. She’d broken into tears almost immediately upon hearing his voice, having spent the last five years alone.

“Now come on, we both need a shower and a change of clothes,” said Tony.

“All of my clothes are at Aunt May’s,” said Peter.

Tony reached over and ruffled his hair. “Come on.”

Peter followed him down the hall to one of the bedrooms. He stepped inside at Tony’s beckoning. 

“I had this room set up for you,” said Tony quietly. “Back when you first started your internship.”

“This is for me?” whispered Peter.

“There’s clothes in the dresser there, and the bathroom is across the hall,” Tony explained. “I’ll be at the end of the hall if you need me.”

“Thank you, Tony,” said Peter.

Tony nodded, and stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Peter picked out a simple outfit from the selection of nerdy shirts and jeans, and then went to the bathroom to shower. A somewhat amusing and terrifying thought crossed his mind as the water trickled down his body.

He hadn’t showered in five years.

* * *

“Kid…” said Tony, as they stepped off the elevator of Peter’s floor in his old apartment building. “Are you ready?”

Peter stared at his own door down the hall from them. “Has… has she been okay? I mean, I know she’s missed me… she said that, like, four times on the phone. But she’s been alone, right? And that’s not exactly healthy for anyone… I just-”

Tony sighed. “She hasn’t been totally alone. Pep and I drop by at least once a month with Morgan. She started a book club, too, and has made some good friends in it.”

“Oh, that’s… good,” said Peter. “Yeah, that’s good. Thank you… for making sure she wasn’t alone.”

Tony wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and he spoke quietly as they walked to the door. “I’ve only told you the good parts, Peter. Please don’t thank me.”

Peter didn’t have long to wonder what he meant, as Tony was already knocking on the door.

It opened slowly.

“Peter?” asked the woman standing before him. He almost didn’t recognize her. She was just so… different, and not in a good way.

First of all, her hair was gone, and whatever was left had been covered by a blue bandana.

“Hey, Aunt May,” Peter said, gulping.

“Oh, Peter!” May surged forward, a smile and a million tears on her face, and pulled him into the tightest hug she’d ever given him. “You’re home!”

“Yeah,” said Peter. “I’m home.”

When she finally let go of him, she greeted Tony and invited them both inside. The apartment was clean, which Peter was relieved to see. It looked very much the same, though. She hadn’t taken down a single photo, or moved any furniture. 

May sat down, and patted the seat next to her on the couch. Tony sat in a chair.

“I just can’t believe it,” said May. “After five years, you’re back… and you haven’t changed a bit.”

“Well, I… for me…” Peter tried very hard to formulate the words. “For me, it was only like… a minute. That’s why I didn’t age.”

May reached up and stroked his still-damp hair. She turned to Tony. “But how did you do it? I thought you said the magical stones had been destroyed.”

As soon as Tony opened his mouth, his phone rang. 

“Ah, just… one moment. That’s gotta be Pepper,” said Tony, standing up and stepping into the kitchen.

May sighed, a small smile on her face. Looking at Peter, she asked, “Do you know what happened?”

Peter grinned. “Well… unless you spent the last five years studying theoretical physics, I’m not sure I can explain it.”

“Well, maybe I’ll surprise you,” said May.

“Okay, so long story short, the Avengers didn’t really have a plan, and so they had kind of given up,” said Peter. “But then Ant-Man showed up…”

Five minutes later, Aunt May was shaking her head. “What do you mean it’s not a time machine? They went back in time, didn’t they?”

“Well, yes and no,” said Peter. 

“And what about that ‘Butterfly Effect’ you told me about a long time ago? Are we just going throw that out the window?”

“Well, that was actually a theory,” said Peter. “Technically, no one had proven it, so we just operated under the assumption that it was true. And in a way, it is, because the future is still directly determined by the past.”

“So changing something in the past should affect the future,” argued May.

“Well, no, because when you go back in time, the past becomes your future and the future becomes your past,” Peter said, repeating Bruce’s words from when he and Tony had tried to explain the concept to everyone earlier.

The discussion continued until Tony returned a few minutes later.

“Alright, I give up,” May relented. “I have no idea how it makes sense to you, but it obviously does, so you do you. I’ll stick to my book club.”

The silence that followed was awkward, until finally, Peter worked up the courage to ask. “Aunt May?”

She looked at him, as though she knew exactly what he was about to say.

“What happened to you?” he asked. “I mean, your hair… you’ve never had it this short before.”

May gave him a gentle smile. “Peter… my hair is gone.”

“What?” Peter asked, confused. “How? Why?”

She glanced at Tony before meeting Peter’s eyes. “I have cancer, Peter.”

Peter’s breath hitched.

“I was diagnosed four years ago, with Leukemia, and after months of treatment… they somehow found a bone marrow donor. I was alright for about a year, but I had a relapse a month ago. The doctors told me I have six months to live, give or take.”

“No…” whispered Peter. “No, no, no… Why you? Why?”

“Peter?” asked Aunt May. “Take a deep breath, love, it’s okay.”

Peter tried. He really tried. But he felt like he was suffocating suddenly.

“I can’t breathe,” he wheezed. “In-inhaler…”

Strong arms were around his arms, and a deep voice whispered to him.

“Peter, it’s Tony. If you can hear me, squeeze my hand.”

Peter felt something touch his right palm, and he squeezed, still gasping.

“Good,” said Tony. “Close your eyes. Listen to my voice. You are safe here. You’re home. Squeeze again if you understand.”

Peter closed his eyes and squeezed again.

“Alright, we’ve got your inhaler here,” said Tony. “But you don’t need it, do you?”

“Yes,” Peter gasped. “My… asthma.”

“You don’t have asthma anymore, Peter,” Tony reminded him, but Peter could hear the sound of his inhaler being shaken. “You’re Spiderman.”

Despite the lack of oxygen to his brain, Peter registered what Tony was telling him. He didn’t need the inhaler. If it worked at all, it would just be a placebo effect. Which meant…

“If you still want to use it, open your hand,” said Tony.

Peter’s fingers twitched, but instead of opening his hand, he squeezed Tony’s once more. 

No, he was strong enough. He could do this.

“Breathe in with me, Peter,” said Tony, and slowly, Peter took a deep breath. 

The air didn’t go smoothly, but it somehow made it to his lungs. He did it again and again, slowly but surely, in sync with Tony’s own calm breaths.

It took several minutes, but soon, Peter was breathing on his own. He opened his eyes.

Aunt May was no longer next to him. Dr. Strange had taken her place. On his other side, arm still around him, sat Tony, thumb rubbing his shoulder gently. Aunt May and Dr. Banner, who looked very out of place in his giant green body, were in front of them, standing on the other side of the coffee table.

“How do you feel, kiddo?” asked Tony.

“Better,” said Peter. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” murmured Tony.

May sat down on the coffee table in front of him.

“You had a panic attack, baby,” said May. “Tony had Friday call these two strange men.”

“He’s Strange, I’m Banner.”

“You’re dying,” whispered Peter.

“Yes, sweetie,” said May. “I am, and I had accepted it, but now you’re here and I… I’m so sorry, Peter.”

“I never meant to leave you,” said Peter.

“You didn’t exactly have a choice,” May reminded him. “And now I’m the one leaving you.”

Peter looked up at Banner. “Isn’t there anything…?”

Banner shook his head. “I’m sorry, little man. We still don’t have a cure.”

Peter knew of one thing that could help, but he would never ask anyone to risk their life for it, and he would never be allowed to use the stones himself. He felt so powerless.

He didn’t want her to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm not sorry


	4. And What Do You Think You'd Ever Say

Dr. Strange opened one last portal for Tony, May, and Peter to go to Tony’s home, where Pepper and Happy were waiting for them. It was already late, and Morgan had been put to bed, though Tony stepped into her room for a moment to kiss her goodnight.

They set May up in one of the guest rooms, and Peter in the other. 

Tony took Peter to the garage in an attempt to distract him from his grief, while May and Pepper talked in the kitchen.

“He’s my first priority, of course,” said May. “I want Peter to be happy, even after I’m gone. He’s just lost so much, you know?”

Pepper nodded. “Yeah, his parents, his uncle, and now…”

“Me,” said May. “I just… I want to make sure he has a home.”

“May, you’ve been such a wonderful friend to us these past few years,” said Pepper. “And we love Peter very much. He and Tony have a special bond. You’re family, and both of you will always have a home with us.”

May smiled. “Thank you, Pepper. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to get the legal paperwork done as soon as possible. If I name you and Tony as his godparents, then you can become his legal guardians when the time comes.”

“Well, lucky for us, Stark Industries has some of the best lawyers in the country,” Pepper told her.

The sound of someone clearing their throat caught their attention, and they turned to see Happy in the doorway. 

“Sorry for the interruption. I’ve been monitoring Peter’s cell phone number - Peter lost it somewhere between the school bus and Planet Nowhere, and it just suddenly started receiving calls and texts after five years of nothing. It’s been nonstop for a few hours. There's a few different ones. Some kid named Ned Leeds has called him forty-seven times.”

* * *

“Ned?” 

“DUDE!”

“Ned, oh, man, it’s so good to hear your voice,” said Peter.

“Holy crap, Pete! Wha- This is the weirdest crap that’s ever happened - my mom is totally freaking out! She says I came back from the dead. I don’t even-”

“Chill out, Ned,” said Peter. “I mean… yeah, it’s insane, but you’re not alone. A lot of people got dusted, like, half the universe, so we’re all having an existential crisis.”

“Five years, though! And did you say ‘dusted?’ Were you dusted, too?”

“Yeah, I was…”

“Oh, good… I mean, not good, but… I didn’t age, so I’m assuming you didn’t either but if you hadn’t been dusted then that means you would have aged so you’d be five years older than me and in college and stuff so I’d be all alone in high school in a post-apocalyptic world and I’m just not sure I could survive that.”

Peter had not considered the aging problem before that moment. Assuming that around half his classmates had stuck around, then they all would have graduated already. They’d be 21, three years into adulthood and college. Some of them might even be married and have kids already. 

“Hey, have you gotten ahold of any of our classmates?” asked Peter.

“Yeah, actually, two of them called me,” said Ned. “They tried calling you, like I did, but you didn’t answer, so they called me and-”

“Who were they?”

“Uh, Flash… and M.J.”

“And were they… were they dusted?” asked Peter.

“No,” Ned answered. “Actually, they… they’re married, Peter… to each other.”

Peter nearly dropped the phone. “What?”

“M.J. married Flash.”

“You’re serious?”

“They’ve got a baby, they said.”

“A baby?!”

“His name is Peter.”

It took him a moment to process this. M.J., like everyone else, had assumed Peter was dead, she had moved on, and found comfort in someone else. It didn’t help that that someone else was the guy who’d bullied Peter for literally forever. He supposed Flash had to have changed a lot for M.J. to fall for him. And they had a child together.

A child named Peter.

“You okay?” 

“Yeah… I’ll… I’ll be fine…” Peter managed to say. “I’ll call you tomorrow, Ned…”

“Okay,” said Ned, sounding unsure. “See you.”

Peter hung up the phone, which was Tony’s, and dropped onto his bed, a tear slipping down his cheek.

“Peter?” came May’s voice from the doorway. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“M.J.” said Peter. “She got married…”

“Oh, oh…” May cooed, sitting down on the bed next to him. “Oh, Peter, I’m so sorry. Come here.”

Peter sobbed into her shoulder, unable to keep his heart from breaking.

It wasn’t fair. Everything life had ever given him had been stolen from him, by some giant self-righteous blueberry yogurt-coloured alien with a twisted sense of logic. 

He could have had five more years with Aunt May, but that was gone. He could have had M.J., but that was gone. He could have been there when Morgan was born, and grown closer to Tony and his family, but that was gone. He could have spent the last five years using his powers to help people.

But that was gone. It was all gone. Five years. Gone. In the blink of an eye.

And so he cried and cried, until exhaustion took him finally, and he fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

When Peter's eyes opened, his mind was completely blank. He stared up into the empty darkness, and let his thoughts drift to nowhere. It was a pleasant feeling, thinking about nothing. 

If time was passing, he couldn't tell. There was no ticking clock in this room like at his apartment. He didn't mind this, savoring the moment, however long it was.

But nothing lasts forever, and eventually, Peter sat up. Eventually, the memories that flooded his nightmares returned. 

But now, something new came to his mind. He'd been so busy thinking about everything he's missed, all the events in the past five years, that he'd forgotten one thing: the future. 

He had some idea of what was to come for himself: he would go back to school, and then on to college. He had known for some time now that he wanted to work for Stark Industries, and he had no doubts now that Tony or Pepper would give him a job.

And, though it wasn't something he wanted to think about yet, he knew that someday, Tony and Pepper would be his family. He wouldn't be alone.

But though his own future was quite certain, he had no idea what to expect from the rest of the world. Five years had passed. Was there still room for everyone? There were so many what-ifs that Peter was close to giving himself a headache.

He slid off the bed and went out the door, finding his way in the dark to the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of water, and sipped it. Peter heard the heartbeat behind him long before the voice.

“You alright, kiddo?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Peter said, setting down the glass and turning around to lean on the counter. Tony switched on one of the lights and joined him.

“You’re a terrible liar,” said Tony. “It’s okay if you’re upset or angry or overwhelmed, you know. You’ve got every reason to be. And even if you didn’t have a reason, you have a right to your feelings.”

Peter looked at him, wanting to talk but not about any of the things he was upset about. “I never thought I would meet you, you know. Even after I got my powers… I didn’t think I was important enough to ever show up on your radar.”

Tony gave him his full attention, his eyes silently encouraging him to go on.

“Even when I was a kid, I idolized you. I mean, you were Iron Man! You had this super-cool suit and you could fly… what kid wouldn’t want to be that? My parents surprised me with tickets to the Stark Expo one year for my birthday. My dad bought me an Iron Man helmet and gloves to wear. It was the coolest thing ever.”

“And then, everyone started screaming and the bad guys showed up… and suddenly my parents weren’t next to me anymore. But I wasn’t afraid, because I was wearing my helmet and gloves and I thought they gave me the powers of Iron Man. So when one of those things landed in front of me, I just held up my palm… and bam! It was blasted to smithereens.”

He was rambling now but Tony was still listening, so he kept going.

“Then suddenly, Iron Man is floating next to me and… and I… I couldn’t believe it. It was the best moment of my life. I mean, I figured out when I got older that you were the one who stopped the baddie, but as a kid… I knew, someday, I’d do something special like you. I didn’t really expect the whole ‘bitten-by-a-radioactive-spider thing but it changed my life. You changed my life.”

Tony wrapped his arms around him. “You changed my life, too, Peter. I can’t even begin to describe the ways how. And I know I’ve never said this, but it is the truth. I know I will never replace your father or your uncle, but I promise you I will be there for you, no matter what. I love you, Peter, like you were my own son.”

Peter reached for him and felt Tony’s embrace tighten. He felt safe and warm. “I love you, too, Tony.”


	5. I Won't Listen Anyway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the absence. May is a busy month.

_Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum._

The steady beat of something near Peter’s ear was very loud. Not painful, but noticeable. 

He opened his eyes, immediately taking in the sunny rays peeking through the living room windows. He closed his eyes and burrowed his face into his pillow.

It was at that moment that he realized the pillow was not a pillow, but a person. And the steady beat he’d first noticed was that person’s heartbeat. Tony was fast asleep on the couch, and Peter lay on top of him. The TV displayed the menu for Game of Thrones season 4, which the two of them had fallen asleep to in the early hours of the morning. 

The clock said it was still early, but Peter found himself unable to sleep more. Maybe he could make himself useful and make pancakes for everyone.

He carefully climbed off of Tony, glad the man didn’t wake up. Father-son relationship or not, Peter felt a little too old to need someone else to rock him to sleep, and it had apparently taken both Aunt May and Tony to do that.

In the kitchen, he located all of the things he would need and set to work. Just as he was about to put the ingredients in a bowl, he heard the pitter-patter of small feet. They stopped quite suddenly just outside the kitchen. 

Curious, Peter turned around to see a little face peeking at him from behind the wall.

“Hello,” said Peter. “Are you Morgan?”

The little girl nodded, still half-hidden.

“I’m Peter,” he told her. “I’m… uh…”

“My big brother,” answered Morgan. “Mommy said you were gonna come home soon.”

Peter smiled, blinking back tears as he realized how much he truly meant to Tony and Pepper.

“Yeah, I finally got to come home,” he said. “I’m glad to meet you, little sis.”

Morgan grinned. “What’re you making?”

“Pancakes,” said Peter. “Do you want to help me?”

She nodded excitedly. “I like pancakes!”

Peter pulled up a chair to the counter, and the two of them set to work adding ingredients and mixing them together. He made sure she didn’t touch anything that was hot, letting her watch as the pancakes cooked, and choosing who got which pancakes. She was surprisingly fair about it, too. Instead of saving all the best ones for herself, everyone got at least one perfect one and two okay ones.

He was so wrapped up with Morgan and setting the table that he didn’t notice anyone else there until he heard the click of a camera.

“Happy!” cried Morgan as she and Peter turned to see the large bodyguard in the entryway. “Me and Peter made pancakes!”

“Hey, Morgs,” Happy greeted her. “Hey, Peter. Looks like you two have already bonded.”

“Yeah,” said Peter. “She’s really sweet. Did you take a picture?”

Happy nodded. “Sorry, it was a picture-perfect moment. Seriously, look at it.”

Peter and Morgan both took a look at the picture on Happy’s tablet. In it, Peter and Morgan both had their backs to the camera, facing the counter, but their heads were turned towards one another, and big smiles on their faces as they worked.

“Wow,” said Peter. “That is a good one.”

“Yeah, I’m thinking Pepper and Tony will want to frame it,” Happy said. “Breakfast smells good, by the way.”

“It sure does,” said Tony, looking groggy but awake.

“Daddy!”

“There’s my girl!” cried Tony, picking her up as she ran to him. “Were you helping Peter?”

“Oh, I love mornings when I don’t have to cook,” said Pepper, coming in behind Tony. She kissed him and Morgan each on the cheek, and then came up to Peter to hug him. “Welcome home, Peter.”

“Thanks,” said Peter. “We, uh, made coffee, too.”

“You’re the best,” said Happy. 

When Aunt May and Rhodey came in, they all sat around the dining table and ate together. It was the first time Peter really saw how big his family had grown, and he never wanted it to end.

* * *

According to Happy, every single TV channel was streaming any and everything related to the Vanished and their sudden reappearance. Tony had created a new voicemail for his and Pepper's phones, which basically said, "Yes, the Avengers were involved in undoing the Snap. No, the Stark family is not available for interviews." 

Friday fielded the more important calls, letting through any from Steve, Rhodey, and the other Avengers.

Peter was helping Tony with the breakfast dishes when Friday interrupted.

"Hey, Boss, it's Steve Rogers on the line."

"Patch him through," said Tony. "Hey, Cap, how's it going?"

Steve's voice came through a speaker behind them. 

"Well, we've finished our interviews with the United Nations," said Steve. "But they're not satisfied."

"We brought back half the universe," said Tony. "And they've still got a problem?"

"They want to talk to you," said Steve. 

"What, hearing it from the Star-spangled hero and the jolly green giant wasn't enough? Did Banner get too science-y for them?"

Steve sighed. "The science isn’t the problem. They say they don't understand why we didn't do this five years ago, or why the mishap with Nebula happened. Apparently, we should have thought about it all ourselves."

Tony snorted. "I get that we’re some of the most brilliant minds in the universe, but not even I knew how the Quantum Realm worked. Without Lang, it never would have happened."

Steve sighed. "They know. We told them. They're just making up excuses to get you in front of them."

Tony said nothing, only continuing to dry dishes and pass them to Peter.

"They won't give up until they talk to you," Steve continued. "They're prepared to retrieve you themselves if you refuse. And trust me, going rogue is not the best idea."

"Fine," said Tony, giving in. "But all they're going to hear is the same shit you told them."

And that was how, six hours later, Tony found himself in front of the United Nations committee responsible for the Sokovia Accords, many of whom had only come back to existence twenty-four hours ago. 

Tony was busy restating (in his own sarcastic manner) everything that Steve and Bruce had told said. "And so, thanks to the joint efforts of all the Avengers and our allies, the Snap was undone and the billions of people across the universe were returned."

"Allies?" Asked one of them, whose name Tony had not bothered to learn. He sufficed himself with naming him Mustachio.

"Yes, that's what we tend to call people who help us save the entire universe," Tony said. “And, if you read the official report that we filed, then you would know exactly who took part in retrieving the stones and the ‘Battle of the Gauntlet’, as the media is calling it.”

“I beg to differ, Mr. Stark,” said former Secretary Ross. Tony hadn’t missed him, that was certain. He was glad the man no longer held the position of secretary. “It seems you intentionally left out the true identities of multiple enhanced humans on this list. Spiderman, Black Panther, and this so-called ‘Starlord’, to name a few. You are aware that this goes against the Sokovia Accords, which you signed, aren’t you?”

“I am,” said Tony. “And are you aware that the Sokovia Accords were about to be null and void? The United Nations was going to vote next month to repeal them. They’re a mess, and everyone knows it.”

“Well, now that the committee has returned, I’m sure we can change their mind,” said Ross.

“And I’m sure they’re not going to listen to you,” said Tony.

“And why is that?”

“Because,” said Tony. “We brought back their loved ones. We saved your lives, and everyone else’s. We did the impossible. And no, it wasn’t perfect, but if you know anyone who could have done a better job, I’d love to hear about it.”

He could tell he’d aggravated the man, but he didn’t care. Ross was powerless, along with all of the men and women sitting in front of him.

“You say Captain Marvel is the one who ultimately ended the battle,” said Ross.

“That’s right,” said Tony. “Were it not for her, the Thanos from the alternate timeline might have succeeded in destroying our entire universe. She could have died, but she did it anyway.”

“And where is she now?” asked Ross.

“Someone in the far reaches of the galaxy,” said Tony. “She has duties to many planets, not just Earth. And some places are much more unstable than we are.”

Ross definitely had something to say, but he was interrupted.

“We’ll come back to that,” said Mustachio. “I see you included a list of the deceased, among whom are Loki of the Asgard, Natasha Romanoff, and your own creation, Vision.”

“That’s right,” said Tony. “I believe I explained clearly what happened to each of them.”

“Loki has been dead before,” said Ross. “How are you so certain of it now?”

“I was informed by his brother,” said Tony. “Thor witnessed Loki’s death himself. He’s gone. Thanos already had one of the stones when he killed Loki, so none of his little illusions could have fooled him.”

The panel members nodded.

“I am curious,” said a woman who Tony had named Alligator. “Why did you list Vision as deceased? He was never truly alive, after all.”

“On the contrary,” said Tony. “Vision was built with the mind stone as his core. With it, he was his own person, with all the imperfections and individual thoughts. He may even have had a soul, but I couldn’t that say for certain.”

“And Miss Romanoff,” said Ross. “Why didn’t she return when Dr. Banner used the stones?”

“Oh, he tried to bring her back,” said Tony, trying to hide the sadness in his voice. “But it didn’t work. During our mission, Nat and Clint were sent to get the soul stone. What we didn’t know, however, was that the soul stone required a sacrifice. A soul for a soul, you might call it. Both of them were willing to give their life to get it, but Nat won in the end, and Clint came back alone.”

“And you believe him?” asked Ross.

“I’ve no reason not to.”

“Surely you’ve heard of his misdeeds these past five years,” Ross said.

“Alleged deeds,” Tony pointed out. “I know what you’re thinking, but you’re wrong. They were best friends, and they’d do anything for each other. Nat wanted Clint to see his family again, and to save all the people who vanished. And we owe her everything.”

“It seems to me, though,” said the chairman of the committee, nicknamed Dinkleberg by Tony. “That the more logical option would have been Barton. It was only a matter of time before evidence of his crimes was found.”

"Logic? With all due respect, chairman, Thanos made his decision based on logic, and half of you died because of it," snapped Tony. "Logic is as stupid an excuse as religion. Nat was willing to give her life for the entire universe, and I'll be damned if any of you could say the same thing." 

They were all quiet now.

“I think it’s time I just come out and say it,” said Tony, standing up. “Only one of you survived the Snap. None of you knows what it’s been like these past five years. You weren’t here. You didn’t have to live with the chaos or the emptiness. You didn’t lose friends or family, they lost you. So why you want to criticize our every decision and make us all out as criminals, I have no goddamn clue. 

“We literally saved the universe. You should be rewarding us the medal of honor or something, not giving us B.S. because we didn’t do everything perfectly. You should be grateful, because honestly, we didn’t have to do this. We’ve been living peacefully for five years. 

“There hasn’t been a single war. The oceans and air have already been recovering from the amount of pollution. The world made an extreme and sudden shift into renewable energy and made plastic and other harmful products illegal. Some of these changes were for the better… But we were still missing something. Everyone wanted to share this new world with those we had lost.”

Ross opened his mouth to speak.

“No, just shut up and listen for a moment,” said Tony. “You’re here because Scott Lang is a synonym to ‘coincidence’. You’re here because even if there’s the tiniest glint of hope, Captain Steve Rogers wouldn’t give up. You’re here because Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff swore an oath to protect this planet, and they would die for it. 

“You’re here because Thor understands what it’s like to lose everything, and he didn’t want anyone else to feel that way. You’re here because Dr. Banner and I are two of the smartest people on this planet. And, strange as it sounds, you’re here because a talking raccoon wanted his friends back. 

“So I don’t know how much more clear I can make this: We saved your ungrateful little asses, and now we want something in return. Amnesty and the Sokovia Accords repealed, to start with. Considering the circumstances, I think that’s pretty reasonable, don’t you?”

He stared them down, particularly Ross, until finally, one of them spoke.

“I agree with Mr. Stark,” said a white-haired woman near Mustachio. This was Meredith Devon, the only one of the committee to survive the Snap. 

The others looked at her in surprise.

“He makes a good point,” Madam Devon said. “The world has… changed, and some of it for the better. But the Avengers have saved billions of people, and they were the only ones who could. Continuing to push the Accords in their current state would be insanity. They’re all heroes, and we owe them that much.”

Ross stared long and hard at Devon and Tony, until he finally said, “All in favor of granting amnesty to all participants in the Battle of the Gauntlet, raise your right hand.”

Alligator counted. “A unanimous vote.”

Ross sighed. “Very well, then, Mr. Stark. You and your friends are free to go. As for the Sokovia Accords… if what you say is true, then they’ll be gone in a month. You drive a hard bargain, as always.”

“Thank you,” said Tony. “I’m glad we understand each other.”

He turned and sauntered out, head held high. On the inside, though, he felt giddier than a kid about to ride his first merry-go-round.


	6. And You Don't Know Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just gonna drop this here...

When Tony returned home, Pepper and May were outside on the porch enjoying some tea.

“How did it go?” asked Pepper.

“Exactly as expected,” said Tony, sitting down with them. “They wanted to make us seem like the bad guys, and I’m fairly certain Ross was going to order me to arrest Cap and the others, but there was no way in hell I was going to do that.”

“So what did you say?” asked May.

“I politely reminded them that they would all be dead still if it wasn’t for us,” said Tony. “And then I asked for amnesty for everyone involved.”

“Politely?” repeated Pepper.

“Relatively speaking.”

Pepper shook her head, amused. “I’m guessing they granted amnesty then?”

“They did,” Tony said. “And they won’t oppose the repeal of the Accords next month.”

“That’s great news,” said May.

Tony nodded. “So, where are Peter and Morgan?”

“In Morgan’s room,” said May. “Last I checked, Peter was a guest at the fanciest restaurant in Paris.”

Tony grinned. “I’d better see if he needs to be rescued.”

He found Peter sitting at a small table in Morgan’s room, pretending to enjoy a very large ice cream sundae made of felt.

“Daddy!” cried Morgan. “Want some ice cream?”

“In a bit, sweetpea,” said Tony. “I need to borrow Peter for a little bit. We’ll be right back, okay?”

Morgan looked a little disappointed, but she nodded. Peter stood and followed Tony to the living room.

“Good news, kiddo,” said Tony. “Your identity is safe. The committee doesn’t know who Spiderman is.”

“Thanks, Tony,” Peter replied.

“And we’ve all been granted amnesty for moving against Thanos without being ordered,” Tony added. “We’re in the clear.”

Peter nodded, but Tony could tell something was still bothering him. 

“I heard about the girl,” said Tony, hoping they were close enough to talk about it. “M.J., right?”

Peter didn’t look at him. “Yeah… She married the guy who was an ass to me.”

“He must have grown up, then,” said Tony. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. We did everything we could to stop Thanos. It didn’t work,” Peter said, shuffling his feet. “So M.J. thought I was dead, and moved on.”

Tony sighed. “I know you cared about her, maybe even loved her, but you’re right. She did move on, and eventually, you’ll be able to do that, too.”

He finally tipped his face up so that Tony could see his eyes. They looked sad, which was not typical of the friendly neighborhood Spiderman.

“How long does Aunt May have?” Peter suddenly asked.

“Not long,” Tony said quietly. “The doctors don’t know for sure, though.”

Peter sighed. “Can we go back to Morgan’s room?”

“Sure,” said Tony, putting an arm around Peter’s shoulders as they walked back down the hall. He only hoped he could help Peter get through it, all of it.

* * *

The mood was somber, as one would expect of a memorial. Every Avenger was there, along with their families. Rocket Raccoon, Nick Fury, Carol Danvers, Dr. Strange, Wong, and a few others were also in attendance.

They all wanted to pay their respects to Natasha Romanoff and Vision, neither of whom could be returned to life by the snap, though they had both given their lives to save everyone else who could be. Loki had been given a funeral years ago.

Peter started to follow Tony to the middle of the group gathered on the dock, as they’d chosen Tony’s house for the ceremony, but someone grabbed his hand.

It was Morgan, her little arms reaching up to be carried. Peter didn’t have the heart to tell her no, and followed Tony with Morgan in his arms.

Pepper and May joined them moments later. Pepper held out her hands to Morgan, who shook her head and buried her face in Peter’s shoulder. He didn’t mind. It would be a couple hours before she grew too heavy in his arms.

The service was opened by Steve Rogers, who greeted them somberly before giving a short eulogy about Natasha and his time with her. Tony was next, talking about both Vision and Natasha, then Wanda, who said a few things about Vision before emotion took her voice away. Then, with some encouragement from his wife, Clint stepped forward.

“When I first met Nat,” he began, eyes looking into the distant past. “I was ordered to kill her. I remember aiming my arrow right at her head… and never releasing it. We looked at each other, and I just knew that there was so much more to her… so I lowered it and I asked her to come with me.

“I don’t know why but we both felt this sudden trust for each other, like it was just the two of us against the world. When I brought her back with me, it took her awhile to earn S.H.I.E.L.D.’s trust, but she eventually became a valuable asset to them.”

Clint scoffed. “Asset. That’s all she was to them. That’s all I was to them. But to each other, we were best friends. We always had each other’s backs. In our downtime we would talk for hours on end, about everything. We got to know each other so well that she became part of my family. My children call her their aunt.

“Nat was one of a kind. And she didn’t need money or technology or superpowers to be that. She didn’t have to sacrifice herself to prove she had changed, but she did. I’m not sure the world will ever have another person like her, but I’m glad I knew her.”

With that, Clint returned to his family’s side, a tear streaming down his cheek. His wife and children were red in the eyes from crying, too.

Steve led the group with their flowers, which they laid, one by one, in a small canoe. Wanda set it adrift. When it was far away, Clint loosed a flaming arrow. It landed in the canoe, which went up in flames in seconds. They silently watched it burn.

Peter leaned into Tony, who threw an arm around him and Morgan. She had been very quiet, seemingly following the example set by her family.

A simple dinner was served inside, which Peter had helped make, but what mostly the work of Pepper and May. As everyone ate, the quiet sobs and sniffs turned to chuckles as the group of friends recalled their times together. 

Peter didn’t have much to say. He hadn’t known Natasha or Vision well. He sufficed himself with listening to the stories from those who had. Morgan eventually transitioned to her mother’s lap, and to bed soon after, leaving Peter with Tony.

“You okay, kid?” asked Tony.

“‘M not a kid,” Peter mumbled, eyes half-open.

He felt himself being pulled sideways, and Tony’s heartbeat became louder. It took him a moment to register he was laying on Tony’s shoulder. He closed his eyes and relaxed.

“So this is the kid from Queens?” he heard Steve Rogers ask. “This is Spider-Man, right? I never saw him without the mask.”

“Yeah, that’s him,” replied Rhodey. “The kid we thought was going to kick your ass.”

“But then you smacked him in the face with your shield,” added Sam.

“He’s also the one who dropped you on your ass,” said Bucky. “Twenty bucks says, with some training, he’ll be better than you.”

Laughter bellowed from the corner of the room, where Thor was. “You were defeated by a child?”

“I was not,” Steve corrected. “I dropped a bridge on him. I won.”

“You dropped a bridge on my nephew?” repeated May.

“Uh… your… nephew?” said Steve.

“Oh, right, introductions,” said Tony, whose voice almost startled Peter. “May, this is Steve, AKA Captain America. Steve, this is May, Spiderman’s aunt.”

“Uh, nice to meet you,” said Steve, as the others guffawed. “And, um… I just want you to know that, at the time, I didn’t know he was still a kid. I mean, I called him ‘kid’, because he sounded young, I was thinking young as in ‘college’, or something. I’m so sorry.”

“He’s an extraordinary kid,” said Bruce. “I saw him at the Battle of the Gauntlet. You’ve raised something special.”

“Thank you,” said May. “Though honestly, I didn’t expect to raise a literal superhero.”

“Yeah, none of us really expected the life we ended up with,” said Thor. “At least not most of it. Glorious victories? Absolutely. Death, loss, and utter desolation? Nope, did not see that one coming.”

May hummed. “You know, when I pictured you, Thor, I always imagined you’d be the life of the party, not the killjoy.”

Thor chuckled. “I’ll work on that.”

Peter heard no more, having drifted off into dreamland.


	7. And I'll Never Be What You Want Me To Be

"I kept everything the same," said Aunt May as Peter looked around his room. "It just didn't seem right to change anything."

They had returned to Queens two days after the memorial. Tony and Pepper had told them that their house would always be open to them. Morgan had cried when Peter left, asking over and over why he had to go. Peter promised to return soon and play with her again. 

And now he was home, back in his little apartment in Queens, with his Aunt May. He knew every inch of it, knew every part of his neighborhood.

So why did he feel like such a stranger?

Tony didn't linger for very long. After giving Peter a new Stark phone with some numbers already on it (including Ned's), he hugged him and May one more time and left.

"He's changed," said Peter, sitting down in the living room. "He's just so… different. I mean, he never hugged me before the battle."

Aunt May joined him. "He's missed you. We both have. We talked about you a lot, while you were gone. He told me the biggest regret he had was not being the person you needed him to be."

Peter thought about what she meant. What kind of person did he need Tony to be? He'd always been Peter's hero. But it seemed that wasn't enough, for either of them. Peter had always thought he'd just wanted Tony's approval. He wanted him to be proud of him. 

But something else had developed between them. Tony wasn't just a mentor, and Peter wasn't just a protege. Peter had come to love Tony as a father, and now he knew Tony loved him as a son. 

Peter was pulled from his thoughts by the TV turning on. Aunt May set the remote back down on the table.

“Schools across the United States are scrambling just hours after Congress passed a bill reinstating every Vanished American child to the school they were registered to five years ago,” said the male news anchor. 

“That’s right,” said the female anchor. “But perhaps the second part of the bill will have a greater impact. In a landslide vote that is sure to make history, Congress has appropriated ten billion dollars originally intended for the Defense budget to every education system across the United States in an effort to handle the sudden influx of students and teachers.”

“Even more unexpected is the option being offered to previously Vanished high school students,” the male anchor continued. “Any student who was enrolled in high school five years ago may opt out of up to two years of high school, with the condition that they pass exams corresponding to the high school courses required for those years. Allegedly, this is to give those students a chance to catch up to their former peers, who are now five years older than them.”

“Looks like the government has finally got their priorities straight,” the female anchor commented. “Rumor has it their next focus is ensuring employment for those who-”

May muted them. “Did you hear that?”

Peter was still staring at the screen in utter shock, but he managed to nod. 

“You were in your junior year,” May noted. 

“Yeah… I was,” said Peter. “So if I wanted, I could completely skip high school.”

“So the question is, do you want to?” asked May.

“I… don’t know,” said Peter. “I’m gonna call Ned.”

He caught a glimpse of a smile on May’s face as he stood up and pulled out his phone. As soon as he was in his room, he dialed.

It didn’t even ring before he heard, “Peter?”

“Ned?”

“Oh, my God, Peter!” cried Ned. “Have you been watching the news, man?”

“Yeah, I have,” Peter replied. “About the whole skipping grade things?”

“Can you believe it?” asked Ned. “We could skip the rest of high school!”

Peter sat down on his bed.

Ned seemed to sense his uncertainty. “I mean, if that’s what you want to do, then we could do it. I’m definitely not gonna do it alone.”

“Part of me wants to finish high school the old-fashioned way,” Peter said. “But the rest of me is afraid to go back… I mean, it was awkward enough when we knew all of our classmates, but now we’ll have new ones and what if Midtown doesn’t feel like home anymore?”

“And what if you’re not the smartest guy on the Decathlon team anymore?” Ned pointed out.

“That, too,” said Peter. “It wasn’t exactly my first thought, but yeah, I guess that would be… a thing. A possible thing.”

“But if we skip high school all together, and let’s face it, we’re both smart enough to pass those tests…”

“We could have a brand new start in college,” said Peter. 

“Yeah,” Ned said, sounding as though he were picturing the two of them at university together. “Let’s do it, Peter. Let’s do this shit.”

Peter could just hear a background voice on Ned’s end ask, “What did you just say?”

“I said ‘it’, Mom, I swear!”

“Yeah, you’re swearing alright. I may be thrilled to have you back but I’m still your mother and you’d better watch your language under this roof.”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Is she going to blame me for that one?” asked Peter. 

“I don’t know,” said Ned, quieter than before. “She still doesn’t like you all that much.”

“Well, there’s one thing that hasn’t changed,” Peter said, laying back on his bed.

“So…”

“So what?”

“You gonna tell me about Tony Stark, or what?”

Peter glanced out the window, as if Iron Man might be floating there. The city was bathed in the bright afternoon sun. “What about him?” 

“You and your aunt were staying at his house? For almost a week? Come on, man, you’re important to him. You gotta give me some deets!”

“Deets?” Peter repeated blankly.

“What? Isn’t that still cool?”

“It wasn’t even cool five years ago.”

Ned sighed. “Dude, we’ve got to have, like, a meme marathon and just catch up on all the jokes and crap that we missed.”

“Yeah, maybe we can do that in between studying for the fifteen exams we have to take now,” Peter suggested.

Ned laughed. “Ah, man, it’s dinner time. I gotta go before my mom turns me back to dust.”

Peter rolled his eyes. “Too soon, Ned, too soon.”

“Sorry, text you later.”

“Bye.”

Peter rolled over onto his stomach. His bed was a fluffy paradox - familiar yet foreign. He very much wished he could make jokes about being dusted like Ned could, but remembering the look on Tony’s face when they’d hugged during the Battle of the Gauntlet made every comedic comment that came to mind shrink back to the dark corners of his thoughts, never to be spoken aloud.

He wondered, not for the last time, which was worse: being dusted into nonexistence, or being left behind.


	8. And What Do You Think You'd Understand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was, as I'm sure you can imagine, a hard chapter to write. But I'm not sorry.  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> Okay, maybe I'm a little sorry, but I'm still uploading this chapter.

"Oh, man, that one was sooo boring," groaned Ned as they walked out of the tenth exam at Midtown, which looked much the same but no longer felt like home. "Who cares about American history?"

Peter didn't answer him, lost in his own thoughts. It was October now, three months since the vanished had been unvanished, and life had returned to a relative normal. It was a process, of course, to transition billions of people back into the lives they once had. 

Peter and Ned were two of thousands of high school students who were testing out of their classes. Skipping two years would not catch them up to their former classmates, but it was something.

They had five more tests left, and then they would qualify to graduate. Although they'd been given the option, neither wanted to participate in the whole commencement ceremony. It was something they were supposed to share with their other friends and classmates, and it would never be the same without them.

They ate lunch before going back to the school for the next test, AP Calculus. 

Just as they were about to enter the testing room, Peter's phone rang.

"No cell phones, please," said the test administrator.

"Sorry, I just… need a minute," Peter said, backing out of the room and putting the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Peter?" Came a familiar voice. "It's Pepper. Listen, your aunt is… they had to bring her back to the hospital. Her condition is getting worse."

"What?" Peter's voice was barely a whisper. "Which hospital?"

"Tony is on his way to pick you up," said Pepper. "Just hang tight, okay? He's coming for you."

"Okay," was all he could say. He hung up the phone and glanced at the teacher, who now looked concerned. 

"We can postpone your exam," she said. "If you need to leave, I mean."

Peter nodded. "It's my aunt, she's-"

He didn't finish his sentence. What was he going to say?

She's dying, he thought, and his eyes began to burn as tears formed in his eyes. 

The teacher didn't look for any explanation. "Go ahead."

So Peter went. Tony was already outside waiting with the windows rolled down. The presence of Tony Stark was not unnoticed by passersby, but Peter ignored them as he climbed into the passenger seat.

"How is she?" Peter asked quietly.

"Pepper said she's stable for now," replied Tony, already pulling away from the school. 

"Do you think this is it?" Asked Peter, his voice cracking. "Is she ever gonna come home again?"

As they paused at a frustratingly long red light, Tony looked at him and reached over to wipe the tears off his cheek.

"I don't know, Peter… I really don't know."

* * *

He had never seen Aunt May like this. So small and pale in the hospital bed, surrounded by a mess of wires and machines. 

"She's asleep," said Pepper, as though to reassure Peter that she wasn't dead.

Yet. 

She wasn't dead yet.

He wanted nothing more than for her to wake up and jump out of the bed and take him to see a movie or a Broadway musical. Her favorite thing.

If only she would wake up. And walk out like nothing had ever happened. Like the cancer had never existed. 

But that wasn't how reality worked. Aunt May might never see another musical, and no amount of wishes or hope could change that. 

Every few minutes the same question came to his mind.

Why? Of all people, why did it have to be May? Why couldn't it be some murderous serial killer in Wisconsin? Or a corrupted government official? Or a bank robber? Someone who deserved it?

Wait… no, what was he thinking? He had never wished such horrible things on anyone, not even Hitler, and he wasn't going to start now. His parents, his uncle, his aunt - they wouldn't want that for him.

It wasn't fair, that was true, but no one deserved to go through this. Not even the worst person on Earth should have to fight cancer or any kind of deadly disease.

So why did it always happen to the good ones?

"Peter?"

He looked up with his reddened eyes at Tony, who appeared to have been crying, too.

"Did you hear what the doctor said?" Asked Tony, laying a hand on his shoulder.

He shook his head.

Tony glanced at Pepper, and then back to Peter. "Pete, her immune system is compromised. It can’t make enough white blood cells to fight off the infections anymore."

Peter stared at him.

"They think she has a few days left," he told him. "She should wake up in a few hours. The doctor told us we should say our goodbyes soon."

Peter nodded and looked back at his aunt, holding in the remaining tears. He had to be strong. Strong for his aunt. The crying could wait, for now. Aunt May was going to need a strong nephew.

* * *

“Hey, Baby,” Aunt May said in a soft voice.

Peter tried to smile, because Aunt May was smiling, despite possibly being hours away from the inevitable. 

“Hey, Aunt May,” was all he could say.

“I’m so glad…” she said, looking older than she ever had as she reached for his hand. “That I got to see you one more time. I’m so glad I had these three months with you.”

Peter sniffed, and took her hand in his. “Me, too.”

“It’s gonna be okay, Baby,” said May, her fingers squeezing him. 

For the first time since he was ten, he didn’t mind her calling him ‘Baby’. In fact, he wouldn’t mind it ever again, if it meant she could stay.

“I’m gonna miss you,” he said, unable to hide the pain in his voice.

“I know,” came the soft reply. “But I’ll always watch over you, from whatever great beyond that’s waiting for me. It’ll be me, Ben, and your parents. All of us together.”

“Do you miss him?” Peter asked.

“I miss all of them,” said May. “I know you do, too. They loved you so much, Peter. And so do I.”

“I love you, too,” he replied.

“And you won’t be alone,” she added. “Thank God you won’t be alone.”

Peter looked at the open door, through which he could just see Tony and Pepper both sitting in chairs, waiting for their turn to speak to May. Pepper was speaking quietly to Tony, who was listening and nodding, staring at the floor.

“They love you,” said May, squeezing his hand again. “Like you were their son.”

Peter gave her another small smile, this one more real than the last. “Yeah… I love them, too.”

“Peter…”

“Yes, Aunt May?”

“I am so proud of you. And I always will be.”

* * *

When Tony and Pepper (both of whom had become friends with May after Peter was dusted) said their goodbyes, Aunt May fell back to sleep.

“Is she in pain?” Peter asked.

“The doctors have given her morphine,” said Tony. “So she shouldn’t feel any pain.”

The two of them were sitting near the window of the hospital room. Once again, Tony had an arm around Peter’s shoulders. 

“Is she gonna wake up again?”

“There’s no way of knowing,” said Tony is a soft, honest voice. 

Peter leaned into him, resting his head on the older man’s shoulder. He felt Tony’s head lay on his.

“Thanks, Tony,” said Peter.

“For what?” asked Tony, somewhat surprised.

“For bringing me back before she was gone,” Peter told him. “So I still had a little bit of time with her.”

Tony rubbed his shoulder gently. “Anything for you, Pete.”

And somehow, Peter knew he meant it.

* * *

She went peacefully three days later.

In the early hours of the morning, in the comfort of her own home, sound asleep, Aunt May went peacefully.

To where, Peter did not know. No one truly knew. To his parents, to Uncle Ben, she went. That much he knew. That much had to be true. It just had to be.

As Tony walked him out of the apartment for a breath of fresh air, one thing replayed over and over in his mind.

The soft thrum of Aunt May's heartbeat, at first steady. And then it began to slow. It began to slow and Peter suddenly hated that he could hear it. 

And it paralyzed him. He held Tony's hand in a vice grip, and whether it hurt him or not, Peter did not know. Tony did not complain, so Peter did not know.

Ba… dum… ba… dum… ba… 

The soft pad of the hospice nurse’s shoes broke the silence, and in the instant it did, Peter was awoken from his stupor, and he noticed several things.

First, he felt light-headed. He was holding his breath. Second, his muscles were stiff, because he was tense. Third, Tony was talking to him. He forced himself to relax, breathed in, and looked at Tony.

"You still with me, Pete?" Tony was asking.

Peter nodded, and said hoarsely, "Yeah, yeah, I'm okay."

"Okay," Tony said. "Good, that's good."

Peter knew Tony didn't know what to say, but he was okay with that. In fact, it made him feel better knowing that he was not alone in the feeling of speechlessness, knowing that he was not the only one feeling unsure, uncertain. 

The nurse turned to them and spoke to Tony for a few minutes, but Peter didn't pay attention. Instead, he turned around and looked out the window, down into the streets of his city, his home, his life. 

He did not, could not, would not, look at the bed again, for he did not know how he would feel, or what he would do, if he did. He feared the thought of it. And so he didn't look.


	9. I'm A Boy, No, I'm A Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote and rewrote this chapter about five times. It may be awhile before the next update, as I've got a lot of stories I am currently working on.
> 
> *Trigger Warning: Nightmares. Not sure if a warning is needed, but I don't want to be that person that makes one of my readers uncomfortable.*
> 
> I am adding some tags to this story that I hadn't realized I was going to need. 
> 
> This is a Tony and Peter chapter. As the story moves along, we'll see more characters, but we're not quite there yet.

"Is that a horse?" Asked Pepper, looking across the table at her daughter's colorful paper.

"Uh-uh," said Morgan, wagging her paint-covered finger.

"It's a unicorn," Peter told her. He was across the table from them, just far enough away that he wouldn't be splashed with paint, practicing with a Calculus book from the library.

"Yeah!" Cried Morgan. "His name is Bubbles."

"That's a good name," said Pepper. "Do you want me to write it for you?"

"Yes, please."

As Morgan watched her mother paint 'Bubbles' on her paper, Peter looked at Tony next to him, typing something on a keyboard and screen only he could see, thanks to his specially made glasses.

Tony noticed. "You okay, Pete?" 

Peter nodded silently, looking back at the numbers in his notebook, too lost in his thoughts to focus anymore.

_Are you okay?_

It was a question everyone had asked Peter in the weeks following the funeral. Pepper, Tony, Rhodey, Happy; heck, even Captain America (or Steve, as the man insisted) had patted him on the back, asking the same question. 

The truth was, Peter didn't know. He didn't know how to explain it. He was okay, yeah, he was fine, but that wasn't totally true. And he wasn't not okay, either. He was just… somewhere in the middle of okay and not okay.

Tony, to his credit, only asked if Peter was okay when there was a good reason to. Like when Peter was staring at him for no reason. Or when Peter was staring in general. Peter had quickly figured out that Tony wasn't wondering about his wellbeing - he was making sure he was alert, like he was still in the present and still on Earth and still breathing.

Knowing this, however, did not prevent him from being startled when Tony spoke again.

"W-what?" Peter asked, turning to Tony again.

"Do you want to go fishing tomorrow?" Tony asked. "It's supposed to stop raining."

"Fishing?" Peter asked. "I didn't know you fish."

"One of the many hazards of living next to a lake," Tony told him. "You want to go?"

"Yeah, I'd love to," Peter answered.

"Yay!" Cried Morgan, her hands punching the air, which of course meant paint splattered across the table. 

Thankfully, Peter had ninja-like reflexes and saved the library book, but Tony had to rush into the kitchen to clean a spot of pink off his glasses.

"Oops," said Morgan, her lower lip trembling.

"It's okay, Morgs," Tony called from the kitchen, as though sensing his daughter's distress.

"It's only paint," Peter told her. "And look, you dropped a little bit of yellow here, so you've got a sun."

Morgan looked, and her eyes suddenly sparkled. "Mommy, look! I got a sun!"

Pepper beamed at Peter as Morgan carefully took her painting to a drying rack in the corner of the room. Then she called Morgan back over and all three of them were cleaning up the last of the paint when Tony returned, brow creased as he looked at his phone.

"Something wrong?" Pepper asked.

"Yeah, it's fine," said Tony, but Peter noticed him mouth 'later' to her. He wondered if he would be invited to that conversation.

Tony's phone dinged, as Pepper took Morgan down the hall to wash her hands of paint. Tony called Peter over.

"Midtown just sent your scores from all the exams," he told him. "Ready to see how you did?"

"Yeah," said Peter as Tony switched the phone to holographic display. Sixteen exams. Sixteen perfect A's. 

"Wow, you even aced history?" said Tony. "Cap'll be proud."

"Straight A's?" Said another voice. It was Happy, the only one who entered the house without knocking. "Damn, you're what Tony would have been if he'd partied less."

Peter blushed as Tony took mock offense.

“I still got perfect grades,” Tony defended. “I have a master’s from MIT.”

“Speaking of which,” Happy said. “Have you decided which colleges you wanted to apply for, Peter?”

Peter was surprised by Happy’s question, but not unprepared. 

“Uh, I’ve narrowed it down to three,” Peter said. “Columbia, Yale, and MIT…”

He gave Tony a sideways glance after saying the last school.

“All good schools,” Happy noted, bobbing his head.

Peter shifted his weight. “Yeah, I just, uh, don’t know which one to pick.”

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up at Tony.

“Well, I’m gonna go find the munchkin,” said Happy suddenly, seeing himself down the hall, where the water was still running.

Once he was out of earshot, Tony spoke. “You know, you don’t have to pick yet. You can apply to all three and decide after you’ve been accepted. It’s always good to have back-ups.”

“Applications cost a lot of money,” said Peter. 

“A five-letter word that you no longer have to worry about,” Tony assured him, leading him to the couch. “Believe it or not, Stark Industries has the steadiest stock prices on Wall Street.”

Peter sat down, not making eye contact with Tony.

“That’s not the issue, is it?” asked Tony. “I mean, you’ve been with us for over two weeks, and our spending money on you hasn’t bothered you before.”

Peter sighed. “No, it’s not the money.”

Tony didn’t say anything, simply waiting, giving Peter the opportunity to collect his thoughts.

“I…” Peter began. “I just… I don’t want to go…”

He felt Tony stiffen next to him, and immediately regretted his phrasing, obviously remembering the last time Peter had said that.

“Shit, sorry,” he said.

Tony shook his head. “It’s fine… what do you mean, though? You… don’t want to go?”

“I mean… I don’t want to leave,” said Peter. “I don’t want to leave you or Pepper or Morgan… I just got here, and now I have to go off to college. And yeah, I’m sure I’ll come back on breaks and long weekends and stuff. I thought about doing online courses, but that’s not really great for the engineering field.”

Tony took a deep breath. “You don’t have to leave.”

Peter looked at him. “What?”

“If you don’t want to leave yet, then you don’t have to,” Tony said. “You can wait awhile. Take a break from school, whatever you need to do.”

“For how long?” asked Peter.

“However long you need to,” said Tony. “And if that’s forever… well, I won’t lie - you have plenty of job opportunities in the family business. Even before the Snap, there was always a place for you.”

Peter could hear the heaviness in Tony’s voice, as though he were trying very hard to hold in his emotions. 

Tony cleared his throat. “And, if you just want to be close to us, then there is another option.”

“What’s that?” asked Peter, his curiosity piqued. 

“Well, when Morgan was born, Pepper and I talked about homeschooling her, out here in this ridiculously remote place,” said Tony, motioning to the house around them. “But we knew, socially, that wouldn’t be perfect for her. She needs friends… and new experiences that don’t involve her mom and dad… or overzealous uncle and nerdy big brother.”

Peter chuckled. “Overzealous uncle is pretty accurate.”

“Yeah, don’t tell Happy,” said Tony, a grin on his face. “Anyway, we decided about a year ago that when Morgan was old enough, we’d go back to the city, and enroll her in school. There’s a nice, private academy not far from Stark tower. And Columbia’s not the only university to choose from there. You could live in the tower with us or in a dorm with Ned, whatever you wanted.”

“You’re going back?” asked Peter.

“Well, it’s not like we’re avoiding it,” said Tony. “We took a break, yeah, but it’s still the headquarters of Stark Industries. Pepper wants to go back to work, and I’ll admit, I’ve missed the penthouse, the noise of the city… sometimes it’s too quiet out here.”

“I miss it, too,” said Peter. “Everything about it.”

“And we can come back here during vacations,” Tony said. “Maybe you can even bring your friends. I’m sure you’ll make plenty in college.”

Peter smiled. “That sounds… amazing.”

“I’m glad, because the plan was to go next fall,” Tony said, casually throwing an arm over Peter’s shoulders. “Morgan will be six in the summer, and we’re going to go a little before then so she can get used to being in the city.”

“Has she ever been there before?” Peter asked. “Before the funeral, I mean.”

“A few times,” said Tony. “But never for a long period of time. She seemed to enjoy it.”

They were both quiet for a few minutes. Peter relaxed and rested his head on Tony’s shoulder. He’d done this more and more over the past couple weeks.

“You know, NYC hasn’t quite been the same since the Snap,” said Tony. “It’s missing something.”

“What’s that?” Peter asked.

“Spider-man.”

* * *

Tony wasn’t sure what it was. 

A feeling? An instinct? Were those the same thing?

Whatever it was, it gave him the sudden urge to knock on Peter’s door. 

He heard it when he raised his hand to the door.

A whimper.

He opened the door without a second thought. “Pe-”

Tony instantly took in the sight before him. Peter was thrashing back and forth on his bed, limbs swinging, as though fighting off some invisible force. 

Still asleep. 

“Peter?” Tony said, moving towards him. “Wake up, Pete.”

He reached out to shake him awake. 

Too close, he thought as he was elbowed in the gut by his unconscious godson. He would not be able to overpower Peter, to pin him down long enough to wake him.

“Dammit,” Tony muttered, running back to his room and grabbing the one thing that might give him the upper hand. He slapped in on his chest and activated it, dashing back to Peter’s room as the nanotech armor spread across the surface of his body. 

Peter was still in his night terror. But this time, Tony needn’t fear his wild arms and legs, protected as he was in the Iron Man suit.

He carefully pinned the boy’s arms before retracting his mask. He was drenched in sweat

“Peter, hey, it’s okay,” he said. “You gotta open your eyes, Pete. Open your eyes. Come on, Baby, wake up.”

Peter’s eyes snapped open, and he looked around in a panic. 

“Peter,” Tony said, catching Peter’s attention.

“Tony?” Peter whispered hoarsely.

“You’re okay,” said Tony, deactivating his suit, releasing his grip on Peter’s arms, and pulling him into a hug in one swift motion. “You’re okay, you’re safe.”

Peter was breathing hard as though he’d just finished a marathon. It took him a couple minutes to fully relax in his arms.

“Was that the first nightmare you’ve had since May’s death?”

“No.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t know.”

“You wanna watch TV with me?”

“Yeah.”

At least he’s answering, Tony thought, knowing it was better than what he’d once done to his own father. He’d refused to respond one day, when he was a few years younger than Peter was now. His father had demanded answers, and Tony had just… stared at him without saying a word, until Howard Stark had banished him to his room. 

He pushed the memory from his mind as he led Peter to the living room and sat him down, retrieving a glass of water for him.

And then he made the mistake of touching the bruise on his stomach as he sat down.

“Did I hurt you?” asked Peter.

“No, my stupidity did,” Tony told him. “I forget sometimes… pretty much all the time, actually, that you’re literally a superhuman and I’m just a guy with a suit. That’s why I had to go all Iron Man on you, to stop you from hurting yourself.”

“You’re not,” said Peter.

“Say again?”

“You’re not just a guy with a suit,” said Peter.

“You’re right,” said Tony. “I’m a genius billionaire ex-playboy philanthropist.”

“You’re more than that,” Peter insisted. “You’re a dad… a really great dad… and a friend and… you care about people. Even before I met you, I knew you cared, about everyone. It’s why I wanted to be just like you.”

“I’m afraid to admit it,” said Tony quietly, a part of him still stuck on Peter calling him ‘a dad’. “But I think you’ve become too much like me, complete with the giant brain, corny jokes, and PTSD to boot.”

Peter stopped mid-chuckle at the last part. 

“You think that’s what the nightmares are?” he asked.

“You’ve shown the signs, kid,” Tony told him. “Nightmares are the big one. But I’ve seen you zone out so badly that Freddy Kreuger could’ve pranced through the house and you wouldn’t have noticed.”

“Who?”

Tony looked at him in shock. “Nightmare on Elm Street? It’s a classic!”

Peter stared at him blankly.

“Back to the point,” said Tony with a sigh. “You startle easily and you don’t seem to concentrate as long as you used to. All symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.”

“So I’m crazy,” said Peter.

“No, that’s not what it is,” Tony said. “Honestly, with everything you’ve been through, I’d be surprised if you weren’t traumatized. No matter what, Peter, you’re still a kid. You’re so young and you’ve been through more than a majority of the planet, even after the Snap. Even without the Spider-Man part, you’ve been through hell.”

Peter was quiet for a moment.

"I keep thinking about," Peter said finally.

"About what?" Asked Tony, though he could see in the boy's eyes what was coming.

“How Uncle Ben would still be alive if-”

“No,” Tony insisted. “Don’t go there. I know you’ve spent the last couple years blaming yourself for his death, but you can’t do that. It’s not your fault, Peter. You didn’t pull the trigger. You didn’t go out one night with a gun and the intent to attack a man. That’s on the mugger, not you.”

“If I hadn’t gone out that night…”

“If I had never revealed to the world that I was Iron Man," said Tony. "Then maybe my house in Malibu wouldn't have been destroyed."

Peter turned his wide eyes to him.

"And maybe Pepper never would've been endangered," Tony went on. "Or, maybe it still would've happened. There are plenty of what-if's out there, Pete, and it's hard to know which one is the best one. Sometimes you'll make a choice in the moment, and regret it for the rest of your life, no matter how big or small that choice was. But you can't spend your whole life living with guilt. Try to learn from your mistakes and experiences, both the good and the bad, and from the mistakes and experiences of others. Learn from mine, from Cap's, hell, even from the purple Voldemort."

This drew a small smile from the boy, and Tony knew he was listening.

"And when you just can't help but feel all those bad feelings, I want you to remember something: your Uncle Ben loved you more than words can express. And so did you Aunt May, and you so did your parents. And they know you loved them. Don't ever forget that, okay?"

"How do you know?" Asked Peter, in a tone of curiosity. "You didn't know my parents, or Uncle Ben."

"Because," said Tony. "It's impossible to know you, Peter, and not love you. You're an amazing kid, Spider-Man or not."

"Thanks," said Peter quietly.

They were quiet once more as Tony flicked to a channel that was playing Tom and Jerry.

"Do you ever have them?" Asked Peter suddenly.

"Hmm?" 

"Nightmares," said Peter.

"Yeah, I do," said Tony without hesitation. "Really bad ones. About New York, about Sokovia, about Thanos. They used to be so bad that I… I hurt Pepper."

Peter's eyes widened even more, and a moment later it was like the floodgates opened, not because Peter was crying, but because he finally poured his heart out to Tony.

The nightmares were a mixture of all of his worst memories: the car accident that killed his parents, the mugging, Germany, the Vulture, space, Thanos, Aunt May’s heartbeat… 

Sometimes, in his dreams, he’s happy and surrounded by his family, and suddenly everyone turns to dust. 

Sometimes he runs for hours through a labyrinth, trying to find the source of a ba-dum, ba-dum that is slowly beginning to fade. 

Sometimes he’s in the middle of a battle with Captain America, who turns into the Vulture and then into Thanos. 

Sometimes he relives the car accident, and he gets out of the car and sees his uncle standing there, demanding where he’d been all night, and out of nowhere there is a gunshot, and Uncle Ben is on the ground, and Peter tries to get to him, but he can’t move for some reason.

And Tony held him while he cried, whispering reassurances to him. He mentally kicked himself, knowing he was the reason Peter had to live through most of it. He blamed himself, despite the fact that he had just told Peter he can't let himself live with guilt.

So what lesson have I learned? Tony wondered. He wanted to protect Peter, keep him from ever having to fight ever again. But he knew that someday soon, the boy would want to hit the streets again as Spider-Man, and Tony would not be able to stop him, or protect him every second of the day.

Peter's breathing had slowed, and Tony lifted him without the aid of his suit, returning him to his bed. Before he left, he told Karen and Friday to inform him whenever Peter was having a nightmare. He also made a note to himself to email his therapist, who he'd been seeing the last five years. Peter needed professional help, no matter how hard it was to admit.

And he knew, if he couldn't stop Peter from throwing himself into danger, he would have to ensure that he was at least prepared, and he knew just how to do that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE: Upped Morgan's age from four to five based on a head-canon from my brother-in-law. When Tony is talking about her going to school, he means first grade, not Kindergarten. 
> 
> Raise your hand if you think Morgan can't read like a BAMF already. No one? Yeah, thought so.


	10. You Can't Take Me and Throw Me Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow is my birthday. So here is a gift for all of you: an extra-long chapter. Like holy cannoli guacamole long. I have never written a chapter this long. How many words is this even? Where did I even get all these words? I have no idea, but I hope you guys enjoy them, because it'll be another week before I have another.
> 
> I will say, I think this was my favorite chapter to write, ever.

“Peter! Peter! Peter!” cried a little voice as someone bounded into the room.

Peter groaned and rolled over. It was way too early

“Peter!” cried the voice again. “It’s snowday!”

“Wha-?” mumbled Peter, opening his eyes to see Morgan, barely able to contain her excitement. She grabbed him by the hand and attempted to drag him out of bed, to no avail. 

“C’mon!” she cried. “Come play with me!”

“I’m coming…” Peter sat up and glanced at his phone as Morgan raced out of the room, calling to someone that Peter was coming.

According to his phone, it was December 24. Christmas Eve.

And according to Morgan, it was snowing.

He went over to the window and opened the blackout curtains. 

It was white. All white. Every surface, from tree branches to the ground to the roof of the shed had been covered in snow. 

Peter couldn't help but grin, grabbing warm clothes from his closet before joining the rest of his family in the living room.

Morgan was impatiently waiting as her father put on his boots. 

Tony looked up at him. "Pep's making breakfast for us to eat on the porch. We're going to make a snowman before we eat."

"And after we eat we can make snow angels and do a snowball fight!" cried Morgan.

"Yes, after we eat," said Tony, passing Peter a pair of boots.

Peter remembered finding them at the store and trying them on. This was the first time he would get to wear them. 

“Let’s go!” cried Morgan. 

Peter and Tony followed her outside and into the snow. 

Twenty minutes later, Pepper brought a tray of food out to them.

“Mommy, look at our snowman!” 

It was, Peter had to admit, a rather pathetic snowman. Rather than two or three round balls on top of each other, it was merely a mountain of snow with some rocks, and barely as tall as Morgan herself. 

“Wow, it looks like a couple of New Yorkers helped you,” said Pepper.

“Is that another word for ‘inexperienced’?” asked Tony.

Peter chuckled. “We tried.”

“You did, I’ll give you that,” Pepper said. “You definitely tried. And you should both probably stick to engineering and mathematics.”

“Hey, it’s not as easy as it looks,” said Tony. “Have you ever built a snowman?”

This caused Morgan to chime in by singing, ‘Do You Want To Build A Snowman?’.

“Actually,” said Pepper as her daughter skipped around the table, still singing. “I used to build a snowman with my grandfather every year when we went to his cabin. We made a whole snow family once."

Morgan had finally sat down and was eating her breakfast, her damp mittens sitting beside her.

"This snow might actually melt by the afternoon," said Pepper.

"See, now that you said that, it's definitely going to happen," said Tony, pointing his fork at her. "You jinxed it."

Pepper rolled her eyes. 

"Mommy, can you help us build a snowman next time?" Asked Morgan.

"Of course," said Pepper. "We'll show the boys how it's done."

"We tried," Tony reminded her. "We even gave him a little scarf, see?"

They all looked at the lumpy snowman. The aforementioned scarf had unraveled and fallen to the ground.

"I guess he's going to be cold now," said Pepper. 

Morgan looked her mother dead in the eye and said, "Mommy, snowman don't get cold. They're made of snow."

"She's not wrong," said Peter.

"Can we go make snow angels?" asked Morgan, her food gone.

Pepper and Tony exchanged a look, in which Tony gave Peter a sideways glance.

"I'll go with you, sweetheart," said Pepper. "The boys can join in a little bit for a snowball fight."

"Yay!" Cried Morgan, hopping down the step as her mother followed her. They went in search of a place where the snow was thick, further away from the house.

"Is there something you wanted to talk about?" Asked Peter.

"Actually, there is," said Tony. "It's about superhero stuff."

Peter's interest was piqued by this, and he gave Tony his full attention.

"I'm assuming you want to return to being Spider-Man and patrolling when we go back to New York," Tony said. When Peter nodded, he continued. "Well, the United Nations has something different in mind."

"Is it like the Sokovia Accords?" Asked Peter.

"Not quite. It's an improvement on the old policies, and the Avengers are helping write them. It's where Steve and the others have been for the past month," Tony told him. "I can't give you all of the specifics, yet, because I don't know them, but they are going to give us a representative in the United Nations, a liaison between the Avengers and the politicians.

"And our identities will be protected," said Tony. "At least, those of us who weren't stupid enough to reveal our identities. I think one of the biggest changes they're making is the recruitment and training program. There are several enhanced individuals out there, like you, and the UN wants them on our side."

"Who are they?" Asked Peter.

"You'll find out," said Tony. "You see, just like you, most of them are too young or too inexperienced to join the Avengers. So we're recruiting them for a training program called the Young Avengers."

"Young Avengers?" Peter repeated. "Seriously?"

"Don't give me that look," said Tony. "I am not the one who invents the names. I didn't even name Iron Man."

"Yeah, your suit isn't really made of iron…"

"I'm aware."

"So you want me to join the Young Avengers?" asked Peter.

"I do," said Tony. "See, up until now you've been a bit of a lone wolf, going after petty crime. And yeah, you've made the world a better place, but there's a lot more you could do in a team."

"Will I still be able to patrol the city?" Peter asked.

"Well, that's the thing," said Tony, looking as though he'd rather not say it. "With these new policies, patrolling the city on your own will be considered illegal."

"What?" Cried Peter.

"The government doesn't agree with your methods, Pete," he said. "You tend to let the bad guy go."

"But I-" 

"They don't want us to be vigilantes," said Tony. "Or go out looking for crimes. We'll be asked to assist in top secret missions in the militaries and intelligence agencies of the UN, and there will be missions that only we can do, like taking out Thanos, but other than that, we are not to intervene."

"I can't just stand by and let someone get hurt!" Cried Peter.

"I'm not asking you to."

"Then how-?"

"Spider-Man can't do anything, but that's not who you are. You don't have to be in a suit to help people, Peter," said Tony. "There is nothing stopping you from doing what any good citizen would do and helping someone in trouble.

"What I don't want you to do is go looking for trouble. No more patrols. No more vigilante crime fighting."

"What if I broke the rules, theoretically speaking?"

Tony gave him a serious look. "I'd have to arrest you."

Peter nodded. "Got it. Just wondering. So if I join the Young Avengers, I'll be a real Avenger one day?"

"Yeah, and while we may not have missions every single day, that might not be a bad thing," Tony said, looking out at where Morgan and Pepper were laying the snow, both on their fifth snow angels.

"Yeah, I guess that's true," said Peter. 

He knew Tony had given him the best option possible, but it was still a bummer. 

No more patrolling, or he risked incarceration.

But he would be an Avenger, and take part in more difficult missions. He'd be part of a team. And then he thought of a bigger question.

Who else would join the Young Avengers?

* * *

After a snowball fight, which Pepper and Morgan won, they returned to the house for some hot chocolate. 

“Are you alright, Tony?” asked Peter as they boiled hot water for the chocolate mix.

“Huh?” said Tony, looking up from the stove. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine…”

Peter waited, hoping he hadn’t intruded too much.

Tony sighed. “Actually, no… I know Morgan found it hilarious… but I was having flashbacks when you pretended to be dead after Pep got you in the snowball fight.”

“Oh,” Peter said. “Sorry… I didn’t think about it.”

Tony reached over and stroked Peter’s hair, which was a little damp from the snow. “It’s not your fault. Honestly, I’m just glad you’re here. I never thought I’d have a Christmas Eve with you.”

Peter smiled, but said nothing. He was glad to be with the Starks, of course. But he wished, not for the first time, that Aunt May was there.

“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Tony said, and Peter looked up to show he was listening. “I know your nightmares haven’t been as bad as that night, but they haven’t stopped, either, have they?”

“No,” said Peter quietly. “They haven’t.”

“I think it might be good for you to talk to someone,” said Tony. “A professional.”

“You want me to see a therapist?” cried Peter, his mind racing suddenly. 

“Pete, you can’t keep going like this. It isn’t healthy,” Tony told him as the water finally came to a boil. “And you won’t get better without treatment. Can you get some mugs, please?”

Peter forced himself to focus once more, and did as he was asked.

“How can I talk to a complete stranger, though?” asked Peter, retrieving four mugs from the cabinet. “And wouldn’t I have to tell him that I’m Spiderman?”

“He’ll be discreet,” said Tony, pouring hot water into each mug. “I’ve been talking to him for years, and he hasn’t betrayed my trust even once.”

Peter gaped at him. “He’s _your_ therapist?”

“Yes, Dr. Leon,” said Tony, mixing chocolate powder into two of the mugs. “Pepper convinced me to see him. I’m not his only high-profile client, either. If you told him you were Spider-Man, or if he figured it out on his own, he wouldn’t tell a soul. He wouldn’t even tell me anything without your permission.”

“But you’re my guardian,” said Peter, mixing one of the mugs far more than needed. 

“Doesn’t matter,” said Tony. “Client confidentiality. Whatever you say to him doesn’t leave his office.”

Peter still felt unsure. “I just… I don’t want to talk to a stranger. I didn’t mind talking to you about it, but I trust you. You’re like… my parent.”

“I’ve got an idea,” said a female voice behind him. 

“Pep, how long have you been there?” asked Tony.

“Not long,” said Pepper. “Someone was getting very impatient for her hot chocolate.”

Tony dropped some mini-marshmallows and a pinch of cinnamon in a Rainbow Dash mug. “I’ll be right back.”

Peter and Pepper waited in an almost awkward silence.

He returned a minute later. “Okay, we’ve got time. Morgan’s watching the Best Gift Ever on Netflix. What was your idea, Pep?”

Pepper fixed her own hot chocolate with some cinnamon and marshmallows and took a sip before answering. “Well, I have to agree that Peter needs to see a professional. But, if he’s doesn’t feel comfortable talking to Dr. Leon on his own, then maybe you can go in with him.”

Tony looked as though he was considering this before he turned to Peter. “What do you think, Pete? Would you feel better if I stayed with you while you talked to Dr. Leon?”

Peter didn’t really have to think about it, and although he felt very childish to admit it, he nodded.

“Alright,” said Tony. “Then I’ll get in touch with him, and set up a date. He’s in New York City, so it’s a drive, but it’ll be worth it.”

“Okay,” Peter answered. 

“Hot chocolate’s getting cold boys,” said Pepper, leaving them to answer the call of her daughter. 

At the word cold, Peter shivered involuntarily. Tony apparently noticed this, and reached out in concern.

“Are you alright, Peter?” he asked.

“I’m cold,” Peter muttered. 

“Your hair is still wet. Come on.”

Tony led him to a spot on the floor by the fireplace. He left for a moment, returning with their hot chocolate and a couple of warm blankets.

“Thanks,” said Peter as Tony sat down next to him, laying a blanket over Peter’s shoulders. 

Pepper and Morgan were snuggled up on the couch behind them, watching the My Little Pony special on the TV mounted above the mantle.

“I know you’re facing a lot of changes, Pete,” Tony said just loud enough for his superhearing. “You’ve got a new house, you’re starting college instead of your junior year… you’ve lost your aunt and the girl you loved… and on top of all that, you aren’t allowed to be the superhero you were before. Your whole life has been turned upside down. But I want you know that we love you, and we’ll always be there for you.”

Peter looked up at him, knowing he was being sincere. “I love you, too.”

They shared a smile, and then they were both quiet as the fire crackled before them. Peter watched the flames through the grate, and, setting his half-empty mug on the coffee table, he leaned on Tony’s shoulder and closed his eyes. Almost instantly, he felt an arm wrap around his shoulder, and he relaxed, listening to the rhythm of Tony’s heartbeat.

* * *

“Pete? Hey, Peter, time to wake up.”

Peter opened his eyes. The fire was a distance away now, and he immediately realized he was laying on the couch, with Tony’s thigh as a pillow.

Sitting up, he yawned and looked up at his mentor-turned-parent. “What time is it?”

“It’s only about one o’clock,” Tony replied, taking off the glasses he’d been wearing that connected him to Friday. “You missed lunch, but we left a plate for you in the microwave.”

“Mommy says after you eat we can open presents!” cried Morgan, who was now playing with a Christmas-themed felt playset at the coffee table.

“Only two,” Tony reminded her. Turning to Peter, he explained, “We started a tradition when we first got married - we each open two gifts on Christmas Eve.”

Peter glanced at the tree.

“I helped Mommy wrap yours,” said Morgan.

“And you promised you wouldn’t spoil the surprise,” said Pepper, not looking up from some paperwork in front of her.

“I won’t.”

Tony led Peter to the kitchen. 

“You guys didn’t have to get me anything,” said Peter, taking the offered plate.

Tony didn’t answer, and when Peter finally looked up at him, he saw… a broken expression.

“I… I’m sorry…” Peter said, setting the plate on the counter. “I didn’t…”

“Please don’t apologize,” said Tony quietly. He stepped forward, and put a hand on each of Peter’s shoulders. “Peter, you are a part of this family. We didn’t buy you presents because we felt sorry for you, or even to keep you from feeling left out. We did it because it just felt natural. It’s what parents do for their kids.”

And now it was finally Peter’s chance to ask, because, honestly, Tony hadn’t actually said it. Implied it, sure, with all the I-Love-You’s and the embraces and the teaching Morgan that Peter was her brother even though Peter was technically dead, but never had Tony just blatantly stated it. 

“Do you really see me as your son?”

One hand moved to Peters chin, tilting it upward so he was looking Tony in the eyes instead of his chest.

“Yes, Peter,” Tony said. “You are my son, in every way that matters. And Pepper sees you that way, too.”

Peter smiled. It was the biggest, truest smile he’d had in a long time. He smiled so hard he cried, throwing himself into Tony’s embrace, glad once again they were in the middle of nowhere and no one his age was around to see him act so childish.

And then Peter said it aloud, the one thing he had thought he’d never be allowed to call Tony. “I love you, Dad.”

“Love you, too,” said Tony, his words muffled by Peter’s now-dry hair. “Now, you’d better eat before Morgan has a breakdown.”

Peter giggled, and followed his father back to the living room, plate in hand.

Twenty minutes later, he had eaten, and Morgan climbed onto the couch with him, apprehensively waiting for her - their- parents to find the right presents under the tree.

“Here we go,” said Tony, picking up four flat boxes and bringing them back to the couch. He passed one to each of them.

“Ready?” Pepper asked. Everyone nodded. “Alright, go!”

Peter expected Morgan to tear her box apart, bundle of energy she was, but she carefully undid the tape and popped it open, pulling out a brand-new set of pajamas.

“Twilight Sparkle!” she cried. “Thank you! Open yours, Peter!”

He did as instructed, and discovered a warm set of Captain America pajamas.

“You did not-” cried Tony. “Burn those, Pete. Throw them in the fire.”

But Tony was half-laughing, and Peter turned to Pepper and Morgan. “You got these for me just to annoy Dad, didn’t you?”

Morgan cackled, her feet kicking out as she doubled over in laughter, but Pepper froze mid-chuckle and stared at him for a moment, before beaming.

“Oh, wait ‘til you see what we got your dad,” she said to Peter, and he knew she’d caught the change.

Tony opened his own gift. “What the he-”

“Only Mommy can say that word!” cried Morgan.

“No, that’s the word sh-”

“Tony,” Pepper said warningly.

“Is that… a reindeer onesie?” asked Peter, unable to hold in his own laughter.

Tony cracked a smile. “Pep, open yours.”

She did, and scoffed. “Are you serious?”

She held up a nearly identical onesie, that Tony had obviously picked out for her.

“Morgan!” they both cried. But their daughter was already rolling on the floor.

“I would just like to say I had nothing to do with this,” said Peter.

“You have to wear them!” Morgan cried. “It’s a rule!”

“Yeah, next year we’re getting you Captain Underpants pajamas,” said Tony.

Morgan scrunched her nose. “Ewwww.”

“Alright, time for the second present,” said Pepper. 

Morgan jumped up. “This time, Mommy and Daddy go first.”

Peter grinned, having helped Morgan pick out these gifts, with help from Happy, of course.

Speaking of Happy, Peter hadn’t seen him or Rhodey all day. He wondered if they had family to see, or if they only visited on Christmas Day.

“Oh, my box is bigger,” Tony commented as Peter and Morgan gave them each a gift.

Pepper rolled her eyes and unwrapped hers first. “Oh, it’s beautiful!”

It was a necklace, shaped like a heart, upon which both Peter and Morgan’s names had been etched, with their birthstones next to them. She put it on immediately.

Peter hadn’t realized that Happy had added him. It was originally supposed to be just Morgan, but after his earlier conversation with Tony, he had no more fears or doubts.

Now it was Tony’s turn, and he opened the box carefully. 

“A snowglobe?” said Pepper as Tony held it up for a closer look.

Tony was speechless, and possibly mesmerized. Inside the globe was a familiar-looking city, with a certain tower at its center, and six detailed figures standing in the snow below, holding hands.

“It’s New York City,” Peter explained. “And the four of us are there with Rhodey and Happy.”

“Thank you,” Tony said quietly, a small smile on his face. He shook it gently and watched the snow fall around his family.

“Your turn,” said Pepper. Tony set the globe on the end table next to him and followed her to their bedroom.

“Where are you going?” asked Morgan.

“We couldn’t put this one under the tree,” said Tony.

Moments later, they returned, each carrying a small animal carrier - purple in Pepper’s arms and red in Tony’s.

No way, Peter thought. “You got us pets?”

Morgan looked as though her eyes were going to pop out of her head as Pepper knelt down and opened the carrier. 

“What is it?” Morgan asked, almost in a whisper.

Pepper reached in and gently pulled out a small, squirming furball.

“A puppy!” Morgan whispered. 

“He’s all yours,” said Pepper. “But you’ll have to help care for him, even when you start school.”

“I will,” Morgan promised, tentatively reaching up petting the little creature.

“He’s a golden retriever,” said Tony. “Gentle and loyal. We’ll help you train him.”

Morgan giggled as the puppy licked her fingers. “Did Peter get a puppy, too?”

“Actually,” Tony said. “You didn’t seem like a dog person.”

Peter’s eyes lit up as Tony held up the tiny black kitten.

“Our only stipulation is that you don’t name it Black Panther or T’Challa or anything related to him,” Tony said before setting the kitten in Peter’s hands.

“That’s Tony stipulation,” Pepper said. “You can call him whatever you want.”

“Or her,” Tony added. “We don’t actually know what gender it is yet.”

“That’s okay,” said Peter, holding the purring kitten to his chest and petting it gently. 

“He’s cute,” said Morgan before turning back to her own bundle of cuteness.

“So’s yours,” said Peter. He looked back at Tony and Pepper with glistening eyes. “Thank you.”

They smiled back.

* * *

The next morning, which Happy and Rhodey joined them for, was full of just as much merriment. Peter received more presents, as did Morgan. Some were clothes, some school supplies (even though that was a good nine months away), and some were toys. Peter could not believe his eyes as he unwrapped the latest Nintendo system and three brand-new games to go with it, as well as two Lego sets (because Peter was definitely still a kid), and a football and soccer ball. 

Present-opening was followed by Morgan and Happy chasing her new puppy around the house after he’d stolen one of her socks.

“Come back, puppy!” she cried. “That’s not a toy!”

Peter, dressed in his Captain America pajamas, was munching on a gingerbread cookie with his kitten asleep on his lap. Next to him, Tony had discovered a wind-up key on the bottom of his snowglobe and was listening to it play ‘NYC’ from Annie. Another addition from Happy that Peter hadn’t known about.

“Gotcha!” cried Morgan, getting ahold of her sock. Unfortunately, this only led to a tug-of-war.

Morgan gave the puppy a stern look. “You let go right now, mister!”

And the puppy did. 

“Good boy,” she said, putting the sock out of reach. She tapped the floor. “Come here.”

The puppy waddled up to her. “Good boy!”

“Have you thought of a name yet?” asked Pepper, returning from the kitchen with some milk and cookies for her.

“Uh-huh,” said Morgan. “I’m gonna call him Spike!”

Tony looked up from the snowglobe. “This doesn’t have anything to do with a certain purple-and-green dragon, does it?”

Morgan stared at him. “Nope. Not at all.”

Peter snickered. 

“How about you, Pete?” asked Tony. “Got a name for your furball?”

Peter had been thinking very hard on this. “I was thinking… of calling him ‘Shadow’. Last night he was following me around in my room, you know, like a shadow.”

“That’s a cute name,” said Pepper. “And it works for a boy or girl.”

“What do you think, Shadow?” asked Tony. 

The cat blinked up at him, before rubbing against Peter’s hand and purring.

At that moment, Rhodey’s phone rang, the first sound to come from the armchair near the fire since the veteran had unwrapped a new book.

Rhodey answered it, and a holographic image of Steve Rogers was projected from the device in his hand.

“What’s up, Cap?” Rhodey greeted him.

“Merry Christmas, to you, too,” Steve said. “Where are you?”

“Just enjoying Stark Cabin.”

Steve turned and looked around the room. “Hey, Merry Christmas.”

“And to you,” said Tony. “I hope this is just a social call.”

“Oh, yeah, it is,” said Steve. “I was actually going to call you after Rhodey. Wanda wanted me to double-check with the guests, make sure everyone who said yes were still- are you wearing Captain America pajamas?”

“Yes, yes he is,” said Tony, as Peter shifted self-consciously. “And I’m not allowed to kick him out for it, apparently.”

Steve smiled. “Knew you had good taste, Queens.”

“He is not wearing them by choice,” Tony said firmly.

“Oh, do I sense a hint of jealousy, Tones?” Rhodey teased.

Tony laughed with the others. “Anyways, to answer your question, Cap, we’re all still coming today. HQ is closer than the city, so we might even be there early.”

There was an indistinct voice in the background that made Steve tilt his head, listening.

“Bruce said don’t come too early. The turkey is taking longer than he thought to cook.”

There was silence for a moment.

“And he said he likes the old oven better.”

“It’s the exact model that the old building had,” said Tony.

“Bruce says it’s not the same.”

“Bruce needs to stop bonding with inanimate objects.”

“He said…” Steve paused and made a confused expression to someone behind him. “You want me to say what?” After a moment, he turned back to Tony. “He said you’re an inanimate object.”

They all burst out laughing from this, except Steve, who didn’t always get modern-day humor, even after living in this time for over a decade.

“Alright, I’ll see you all soon, I suppose,” said Steve once the laughter died down. 

“Before you go,” said Pepper. “Who all is coming?”

Steve held up a piece of paper. “Apparently, everyone.”

* * *

When they arrived at the newly rebuilt Avengers Compound a few hours later, they noticed there weren’t many cars in the lot yet.

Peter and Pepper each carried a dish inside, while Tony carried Morgan. 

Waiting for them were Wanda, Bruce, Steve, and Bucky. They all greeted them warmly.

And then Tony approached Bucky, who did not have on his metal arm, and held out his hand. Bucky took it, the two of them exchanging a meaningful glance, and the silence that had fallen suddenly broke.

Clint arrived next with his family, no longer on house arrest. Lila awkwardly introduced herself and her brothers, Cooper and Nathaniel, to Peter, who was equally as awkward introducing himself and Morgan. 

The kids found a corner of the communal lounge, which had been decorated quite beautifully to talk and play, while the adults clustered together, half-watching them interact, half-conversing with each other.

Scott was next to arrive with Hope and their daughter Cassie, who, as though drawn by a magnet, immediately approached the kids.

T’Challa, Shuri, and Okoye touched down in one of their high-tech jets.

“Ayyyy, Spider-Man!” Shuri greeted Peter, plopping down next to him as though they’d known each other their entire lives rather than just meeting less than six months ago.

The other children blinked at them.

“You’re Spider-Man?” asked Cassie.

“Oh, they didn’t know?” Shuri asked, sitting up. “Sorry…”

“It’s alright,” Tony called from the other side of the room, where T’Challa was giving Shuri an exasperated look. “Their parents are Avengers, so they were bound to find out eventually.”

“But try not to tell anyone else,” said T’Challa. 

Shuri gave him a wide smile as the doorbell rang again.

There were three people outside - Stephen Strange, Wong, and Carol Danvers.

“I didn’t realize you were coming together,” said Bruce.

“We didn’t,” said Carol, immediately walking away from Strange and Wong. “Merry Christmas, everyone. Um, thanks for inviting me.”

“We’re glad to have you,” said Steve. He quickly reintroduced everyone, as not all of them had been at the meeting in Wakanda.

“I didn’t realize so many of you have kids,” she said, looking over at the corner of the room. 

“Shuri is my sister, actually,” said T’Challa. “But the others are actually parents.”

“Not me,” said Rhodey. “I’m the uncle.”

“Yeah, but I’m the favorite uncle,” said Happy. 

“So you’re Steven,” said Wong, pointing at Steve. 

“Yes,” said Steve.

“And you’re Stephen,” Wong pointed to his friend, a wide smile on his face.

“It’s a common name,” muttered Stephen. 

For once, he was wearing jeans and a plain sweater, as was Wong, but his cape flew around the room, exploring like a cat. All of the kids seemed entranced by it, especially Nathaniel and Morgan, who tried to catch it.

Before Clint and Tony could say anything to their children, Stephen said, “It’s fine. If it was really annoyed, it would fly out of reach or hide from them. I think it’s actually enjoying itself.”

Seemingly tired of listening to the teenagers, Cooper, Clint’s older son, joined Nathaniel and Morgan in their game, leaving Peter with the three girls. He seemed to be enjoying himself, so Tony left him to it.

After an hour of socializing, Bruce and Wanda decided it was time for food, and once the youngest three were taken care of, everyone else fended for themselves in a line. Everyone had brought something, even Stephen and Wong.

They gathered in the meeting room, which had been decorated like the lounge. 

Tony was surprised to find Peter taking the seat next to him, rather than with the girls.

“You alright, Pete?” Tony asked him.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Peter replied, not sounding at all upset.

Tony watched the boy out of the corner of his eye, but saw no signs of anything being wrong. He was eating and talking to the others. He decided that Peter had simply wanted to sit with him to eat, and nothing more. 

“You did not!” cried Peter as Steve was telling a story.

“I did,” Steve assured him proudly.

Peter turned to his guardian. “Did Steve really do a flip and kick a guy in the face, Tony?”

Tony coughed, almost choking on his bread roll. Had Peter just called him Tony? 

“Sorry, what?” Tony asked, and Peter repeated the question. “Oh, yeah, he’s done that a bunch of times.”

“Awesome!” 

But Tony did not share in his excitement, not because Peter was geeking out over Captain America, but because Peter seemed to have backtracked. Of course, maybe he shouldn’t be so surprised. He’d only been calling him ‘Dad’ for less than a day. 

He couldn’t help but admit to himself, however, that he’d been looking forward to his team hearing Peter call him his father.

Or, maybe that was the problem. Peter wasn’t ready to call him ‘Dad’ in front of the others. These were the Avengers, after all. He hoped that was it, and that as soon as they got home, Peter would go back to calling him ‘Dad.’

After everyone had eaten, they returned to the lounge to watch a Christmas movie, since presents had already been done at home.

“Alright, choices are The Polar Express, The Santa Clause, or A Christmas Carol,” said Bucky.

“I guess we should vote,” said Pepper.

“Okay, who wants to see the Polar Express?” asked Bucky.

Seven hands belonging to underage people shot up in the air.

“Sister, you don’t even know what it is,” said T’Challa.

“I’m trying to blend in with the colonizers, here, brother,” said Shuri. “You’re blowing my cover.”

“Colonizers?” asked Lila.

“I mean that in an endearing way,” Shuri assured her.

“Right…” said Bucky. “Anyone for The Santa Clause?”

He waited a few moments. “How about A Christmas Carol?”

Bucky gave the adults an annoyed look. “Why aren’t any of you voting? Pepper, it was your idea to vote and you didn’t even vote!”

“We voted,” said Cassie, as most of the adults sniggered. 

“Your vote only counts if you’re eighteen,” said Wanda.

“According to the Electoral College, nobody’s vote counts,” muttered Lila.

“I said no politics,” Clint reminded his daughter.

“Okay, we’re going to watch the Santa Clause,” said Bucky.

“But we voted!” cried Lila. “And the Santa Clause is, like, thirty years old. We wanted the Polar Express!”

“Yes, I know,” Bucky said. “But we’re not watching a musical.”

“Then why was it an option?!” cried Cassie. 

“Why is it ‘the’ Santa Clause?” asked Shuri, suddenly. “And what’s with the ‘e’ at the end?” 

Her question was ignored, however, in the ensuing argument of Cassie and Lila versus Bucky, during which time, Wanda silently took one of the movies and put it one, and the argument only ceased when the title screen music played. 

“The Nightmare Before Christmas?” Shuri read.

“I love that movie!” cried Morgan.

“Right, the princess approves,” said Happy. “Carry on.”

Before the movie was started, several of them had to make last-minute bathroom trips and popcorn and snack trips and some just wanted a change of seating.

Peter followed Tony to the kitchen for some candy and drinks.

“Can I sit with you, Dad?” Peter asked quietly, suddenly proving Tony’s previous theory.

“Sure, kiddo,” Tony said. “Are you sure you don’t want to sit with the girls?”

Peter shrugged, and Tony decided not to pursue the subject. Peter seemed to like Shuri, Cassie, and Lila well enough, but he’d only met the latter two today, and Shuri certainly took some getting used to. Peter wasn’t exactly a social butterfly, so perhaps he was just done with people in general.

So when they returned to the lounge, Tony sat down in the loveseat with his wife on one side and his son on the other. Morgan sat half-on top and half-in between him and Pepper. 

As the movie finally started, Tony felt Peter rest his head on his shoulder. Not minding this at all (he would never, ever deny Peter love and comfort ever again), Tony wrapped his arm around him. 

Seventy-six minutes later, Peter was fast asleep against him, and Tony was loathe to wake him up.

The others were beginning to say goodbye, albeit quietly, since all of them had noticed the sleeping boy.

“He was up early this morning,” said Pepper. “Helping me make cookies.”

Morgan, too, looked like she was about to fall over, as did Clint’s boys.

“Guess it was a long day for everyone,” said Rhodey.

Meanwhile, Stephen and Wong were bidding Steve and Wanda farewell. 

“This was nice,” said Stephen. “Thank you for inviting us.”

“We hope you’ll visit more often,” said Steve.

“Perhaps,” said Stephen. “Hey, let’s go.”

Across the room, Strange’s cape waved one last time at Morgan, and flew back to its owner.

The Bartons and the Langs left after them, followed by T’Challa, Shuri, and Okoye. 

“Will you come again next year?” asked Wanda as she walked Carol to the door.

“Maybe,” said Carol. “It’s hard to keep track of Earth days from other planets.”

“It sounds exciting,” said Wanda.

“It can be,” Carol said with a smile. “But it’s dangerous, and sometimes it’s just plain boring. Earth is actually one of the more interesting planets, in my opinion.”

Once Carol had flown off, Wanda rejoined the others in the lounge.

“We’ll get your pots back to you sometime,” said Bruce. 

Tony nodded his thanks. Peter hadn’t stirred once, and he honestly didn’t want to wake him. 

“I’ll drive, Boss,” said Happy, picking up Morgan, who giggled in a tired-to-the-point-of-being-delirious manner.

Tony stood, lifting Peter in his arms, princess style. 

“You got him?” asked Steve.

“Yeah, he’s ridiculously light,” Tony replied. “You mind getting the door?”

Steve did more than that, however. He walked Tony all the way to their suburban and helped him get Peter into the very back seat so that he could lay him down (Morgan’s car seat prevented that in the in the middle row).

“He really seems attached to you,” said Steve.

“Yeah,” said Tony. 

“I heard him call you ‘Dad’ earlier.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, sorry,” Steve apologized. “I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, and I know he was talking quietly, but my superhearing still picked up on it.”

“I live with that now,” Tony said. “Rhodey said he’s pretty much your do-good attitude and abilities combined with my interests and intelligence.”

“With a sweet personality all his own,” said Steve.

“Sweet? Either you’re about to be on the sex offenders list or you’re just that old-fashioned.”

Cap threw his hands up. “Hell no, Tony, I’m not coming on to the fifteen-year-old.”

“Sixteen,” said Tony, chuckling.

Pepper and Happy arrived just then with Morgan and a few paper boxes. “Sorry we took so long. We were gathering some leftovers.”

Morgan sleepily climbed into her carseat, helping her mother strap her in.

“Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you,” said Steve.

“Yeah,” said Tony, stroking his sleeping son’s hair. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.”

And then he was gone, and Happy was starting the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the recap because this was a ridiculously long chapter:
> 
> Young Avengers  
> Peter and Tony are bad at snowmanning  
> Peter doesn't get to Spidey like before  
> Peter needs a therapist (and more hugs)  
> Shadow  
> Spike  
> SPIDERSON  
> IRONDAD  
> Stephen and Steven
> 
> Until next time, folks!


	11. And How Can You Learn What's Never Shown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, look at that. Another very hard chapter to write.
> 
> Also I wrote this chapter in a matter of five hours.
> 
> Please enjoy. 
> 
> **Possible Trigger Warning**  
> Peter talks about some bad memories during his therapy session. I apologize if that makes anyone uncomfortable.   
> **

“You doing okay?” asked Tony, leading him through the private entrance of Stark Tower. 

“I’m still not sure how I feel about this,” said Peter. Even Tony’s arm around his shoulders didn’t help. 

“I know,” said Tony. “I felt the same way when Pepper convinced me to start seeing Dr. Leon, but I promise you he won’t judge you or tell anyone what you tell him. And you don’t have to tell him you’re Spider-Man.”

“You said he might figure it out,” Peter pointed out.

“He might,” Tony agreed as they stepped onto the elevator. “But he won’t say anything about it if he does.”

“We’re just going to talk?” asked Peter.

“You might do some writing, too,” Tony told him. “Everyone’s process is different. And don’t worry - I’ll be with you, unless you ask me to leave.”

Peter knew that was the least likeliest thing to happen.

They arrived on the floor just below Tony’s lab, where private meetings were normally held. There were only two other people there - Happy, of course, and a middle-aged man with a kind, handsome face. 

Dr. Matthew Leon was not dressed in a business suit as Peter had imagined. Instead, he wore a simple navy button-up and Khaki pants and carried a small leather suitcase, looking more like a high school teacher than a therapist.

“Matt,” said Tony, holding out his hand. “Good to see you again. Thank you for coming.”

“It’s a pleasure, Tony,” said Dr. Leon, shaking the billionaire’s hand. He turned to Peter. “You must be Peter. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Y-you have?” asked Peter.

Leon glanced at Tony, who shrugged. “Your father has talked about you in his own therapy sessions, both before and after the Decimation. I’m afraid I can’t say more than that without breaking the client confidentiality agreement.”

Peter glanced between Leon and Tony. 

“The usual room is ready,” said Happy, walking towards the elevator. 

“Thanks, Happy,” said Tony. 

Peter followed them to a small lounge down the hall. 

“Now, I understand you’d like Tony to stay with you during these sessions,” said Leon as he sat down across from them. “But I’m required to tell you that, at any point, you can ask for him to leave.”

Peter nodded his understanding.

Leon continued with the ground rules. “Anything you say today, and in future sessions, doesn’t leave this room. Neither I nor Tony will tell anybody, not even your family or friends or law enforcement.”

“Law enforcement?” asked Peter.

Leon nodded. “Some of my clients have done some things they aren’t proud of, and others are the victims of crimes that they haven’t reported. Without their explicit permission, I cannot say a word to the police about it.”

Peter nodded again.

“I want you to know that it’s normal to be nervous,” said Leon. “And I won’t judge you no matter what you say or do. This is a time for you to reflect on your past, present and future, and perhaps heal from the trauma you may have faced, but feel free to look at the positive aspects of your life as well.”

“I don’t know where to start,” Peter admitted.

“How about something easy?” Leon offered. “Do you have any pets?”

Peter lit up inside. “I have a kitten named Shadow. I got him for Christmas.”

“What kind of personality does he have?” asked Leon.

“He’s a goofball, I think,” Peter said. “He likes to play and climb and explore, but sometimes he just follows me around and takes naps on my lap.”

As Leon asked questions about Shadow, Peter began to open up more. The discussion led from there to his new family, where Peter commented that he’d always wanted a little sister, but his mother couldn’t have any more children. He’d never been told why.

Talking about his birth parents and his childhood eventually led to the car accident, and moving in with his aunt and uncle. And then the nightmares came up, and Peter fell silent.

“Your aunt and uncle have both passed away as well?” 

Peter wasn’t sure if that was actually a question, but he nodded.

“Okay, we’re going to do a little role-play here. I want you to think back, Peter, to the time before they died,” said Leon. “When it was you and your aunt and uncle. Can you picture yourself and your life then?”

“Yes,” said Peter. 

“Good, now it’s been a few years since your parents were killed in the car accident,” Leon continued. “How do you feel about it?”

“I… I didn’t think about it much,” said Peter. “Them being gone was just… a part of my life.”

“It sounds like you had accepted it and moved on,” said Leon. “That’s a good thing.”

“Then why am I having nightmares about it again?” asked Peter.

“That’s a very good question, Peter,” Leon replied. “You were young at the time. You mind may have even blocked the more difficult parts of those memories, the parts that as a child you couldn’t process.”

This made sense to Peter, though it made him feel like he was hiding from the death of his parents, rather than facing it head-on.

“But subsequent trauma has been known to trigger memories from the past,” Leon went on. “Perhaps the death of your aunt and uncle reopened some old wounds, on top of causing a few.”

“They didn’t die at the same time,” said Peter. “Like my parents did.”

Leon didn’t say anything this time, giving Peter some time to formulate his thoughts.

“Me and Uncle Ben… we had a fight,” Peter said. “And I left. It was late and I hadn’t come back yet, so he went out to find me. We were arguing outside the apartment building when…”

Peter squeezed his eyes shut, as though that would stop the memory from resurfacing in his mind. 

“Some guy just attacked him. He wanted Uncle Ben’s wallet, so he gave it to him. He was trying to protect me.”

He felt Tony’s hand on his shoulder, his thumb rubbing circles into his shoulder-blade. It was soothing.

“But he shot him anyways. Ben didn’t put up a fight, but he still shot him… I couldn’t do anything. I was so scared and I couldn’t help him.”

A tear slipped down his cheek, but Peter didn’t sob.

“Peter,” said Leon, and Peter looked up at his gentle eyes. “I know it’s hard to talk about these things, but I can tell you loved your uncle very much.”

Peter nodded, wiping his eyes.

“But you also know, deep down, that it isn’t your fault.”

“I shouldn’t have been out so late.”

“There was no way for you to know what was going to happen,” said Leon. “And you’re right, if you weren’t allowed to be out late like that, then you shouldn’t have been, but that doesn’t make you the blame. Even teenagers have the right to be upset, and we are all bound to make mistakes, but there were many factors that night that you could not prevent.”

Peter said nothing, staring at his hands.

“You said he was trying to protect you,” Leon said. “Don’t you think that that says it all?”

Peter looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

“He loved you,” said Leon simply. “And the guilt you’re feeling - you feel it because you loved him, too.”

“Yes, I did.”

“Our time is almost up for today,” Leon noted. “And I’m going to give you some homework.”

“Homework?”

Leon smiled. “I want you to start a journal. Spend about fifteen to twenty minutes on it each day. Try to write about those memories that are hard to think about. You can draw it, too, if you’d rather. And if you have a nightmare, try to write about that, too.”

Peter wasn’t sure he liked this idea.

“I know it sounds hard, and you probably don’t want to think about any of it,” said Leon. “But it will help you in the end. And if you’re really having trouble finding words, start with something positive, like we did today. Start with your cat.”

* * *

Peter yawned as he opened his eyes the next morning. He hadn’t had a nightmare, thankfully, perhaps because he’d relived a couple of them during the therapy session. 

He rolled over in his bed, and saw the brand new leather journal on his nightstand. Tony had given it to him the night before, with Morgan commenting that it looked like the one Tony kept on his nightstand. 

Of course Tony had one, Peter thought. He had been seeing Dr. Leon for years, on and off.

Sitting up, Peter took the book and a pencil in his hands and looked it over. It was soft, with a magnetic clasp. Simple, but so, so intimidating. How was he supposed to fill all of these empty pages?

A small meow next to him caught his attention. Shadow was looking up at him with his big blue eyes, and Peter couldn’t help but grin. 

“Hey, boy,” said Peter, petting him. They’d learned he was definitely a boy about a week ago. 

Shadow purred, and rubbed his head against Peter.

Leon’s words echoed in his mind. Start with something positive… Start with your cat.

So Peter started with his cat. He drew Shadow as a ninja cat, fighting his way through the dark streets of a crime-ridden city, slinking around corners and capturing bad guys. He soon filled three pages with a comic he titled Shadow Cat. He wasn’t sure what possessed him to do it this way, but he’d always loved comic books as a kid, and it just… fit.

There was a knock at the door, startling him from his work.

“Peter? You up?” called Pepper. “Breakfast is ready.”

“Coming!” Peter cried, quickly setting the journal aside, and setting Shadow on the floor. 

In the breakfast nook, he filled Shadow’s bowl with food. To keep Spike from stealing the cat food, they had placed the cat bowl in his cat tree. He couldn’t quite climb it every time, so Peter often had to help him get to the top shelf to eat.

Morgan was already munching on her bacon and eggs, and Spike, who was much, much bigger now, lay below her feet, ready to clean up if needed. 

“Morning,” said Peter, pouring himself some orange juice.

“Good morning,” Tony replied. “You look wide awake for someone who just stumbled out of his room.”

“I wasn’t really asleep,” Peter admitted. “I was drawing.”

Tony smiled knowingly before turning back to his food.

“Can I see your drawings?” ask Morgan.

“Maybe,” said Peter. “And maybe I’ll draw something just for you.”

This satisfied his little sister, as she turned her attention to something under the table. “Stop licking my foot, Spike! It tickles!”

Spike, to his credit, seemed to understand, and put his head back on his paws.

“That is one smart dog,” said Tony. “You’re doing a good job teaching him, Morgs.”

“She certainly is,” said Pepper.

“Can we take him for a walk in the woods, Daddy?” Morgan pleaded.

“Sure,” said Tony. “We’ll go on your favorite trail. But not too far. We don’t want him to be in the snow too long.”

“Yay!” cried Morgan.

“I’ll sit this one out,” said Pepper. “It’s still too cold for me.”

“Same here,” said Peter. 

Tony rolled his eyes. “Guess it’s just you and me, little lady.”

Morgan didn’t seem to mind this at all, as she quickly finished her food and dashed back to her room to find her warm clothes. 

In the meantime, Tony found Spike’s new sweater (he’d already outgrown is old one) and got him dressed. 

By the time they were ready, Peter and Pepper were halfway done with the dishes. 

“We’ll be back!” Tony called.

“Be safe!” Pepper replied.

Once the dishes were done, they sat down in the living room. 

“Hey, have you ever heard of Macross Delta?” asked Pepper.

Peter looked up from his phone. “Yeah, I think that’s an anime that came out in, like, my sophomore year or something. It’s a mecha-anime, right?”

“It is,” said Pepper. “But apparently it’s the fourth installment in the series, and I didn’t want to watch it before I saw the first three.”

“You like anime?” asked Peter.

Pepper shrugged. “I used to watch Trigun and Code Geass. I’m not into the bigger animes like Naruto or Bleach or that pirate one…”

“One Piece?”

“Yes, that one!” Pepper said. “They’re ridiculously long.”

“I know right?” cried Peter. “And now they’ve got that new Naruto series, about their kids, like they don’t know when to just… end a story and let it be.”

“My feelings exactly,” said Pepper. “So, the first Macross was made in the eighties. You think it’s worth a shot?”

“You kidding?” cried Peter. “Some of the best animes were made in the eighties.”

And that was how, an hour later, Tony and Morgan returned to find Pepper and Peter binge-watching a subtitled version of Macross SDF-1 (despite being fully aware of Robotech and it’s later seasons). 

Morgan watched about five minutes of it before growing bored and returning to her room to host a tea party for Spike, and Tony just smiled at the scene, and then went to the garage.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Peter attended more sessions with Tony and Leon, where he eventually revealed his secret identity as Spider-Man to the doctor, and was able to talk about the roughest parts of being a superhero. 

At home, he played with Morgan and Spike (who were now a package deal, it seemed), snuggled with Shadow, worked in the garage with Tony, and watched Macross with Pepper. 

Every morning when he woke up, he drew more in his journal. Sometimes it was his bad memories, sometimes his nightmares, and other times it was Shadow Cat kicking butt (sometimes Thanos’ butt and sometimes the Vulture’s). 

And somehow, Peter began to heal. His nightmares became few and far between. His guilt, though not completely gone, was not as powerful as it had once been. He found it easier to laugh and smile, and to accept that he was a Stark now, in everything but blood and name. 

And the day finally came when Peter called Pepper ‘Mom’. It was just a casual ‘Good morning, Mom’ but it was enough to make her teary-eyed. 

Good things arrived in the mail, too, from Columbia, Yale, and MIT. 

Three schools. Three acceptance letters. Three choices.

MIT was where Tony had gone. He could follow in his adoptive father’s footsteps.

Yale was where his grandfather had gone. His own dad had wanted Peter to go there.

And Columbia was in New York City. Where his family would be.

It took Peter some time, but in the end he knew exactly where he wanted to go. He knew which school meant the most, which one he would be happiest at. 

And of course, Ned had been accepted, too.


	12. Yeah You Stand Here On Your Own

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had a dream last night about Captain America in this specific AU and now, after I already told myself not to, I may be writing a separate fic that happens AFTER this one (or in tandem), in the same universe, but not centered around Peter and Tony. 
> 
> And then there's this other dream I had about L**i and N*****a also in this AU and
> 
> I'm gonna stop there. Just know, I am exploring these other two ideas and I make no guarantees that any fics will be born from them.

This is exhilarating, Peter thought as he swung from building to building. It had been ages since he’d done this, and boy, had he missed it. 

And for once, he wasn’t alone. Flying next to him, and watching in amazement as Peter did flips in mid-air and ran across rooftops, was Iron Man. 

“These new suit upgrades rock!” Peter cried.

“They’d better,” said Tony. “You’ve been working on them for months.”

“I just… wow,” said Peter, catching his breath at the top of a building with a view of the harbor. “I’ve really missed this, you know?”

“I know the feeling,” Tony replied.

“Wanna race back to Stark Tower?” Peter asked, eagerly.

Tony looked at him. “Actually, I think it’s time you woke up, Peter.”

“What?”

“Wake up.”

The streets of New York faded to darkness as Tony’s and Peter’s suits disappeared. 

“Wake up, Pete,” Tony repeated.

Peter opened his eyes. He was in his bed, at Stark Cabin, nowhere near the city. 

“Happy Birthday, kiddo,” said Tony, who was standing above him. “Did you sleep well?”

Peter sat up, looking at his phone, which displayed the date. June 1, 2024. “I was having the best dream. We were flying through New York, as Spiderman and Iron Man, and not a bad guy in sight. It was so real.”

Tony quirked an eyebrow at him. “Weird… I had a dream like that last night, too.”

“You did?” 

“Yeah, just me and you in New York,” said Tony. “Man, I can’t wait to get back there.”

They were both silent for a moment, thinking about their home.

Tony was the one who broke the silence, and said, with a rare, soft smile. "I'm glad your dreams are happier now."

"Yeah," said Peter. "The therapy really helped, and, you know, having you guys, too."

The weekly sessions with Dr. Leon had only been for three months, but Peter had made amazing progress in that time. He was happier, certainly, though he still missed Ben and May and, heck, even high school. But those things were normal, and in time, the hurt would lessen. 

He still wrote, or drew, actually, in the journal Tony had given him, particularly little stories about the adventures of Shadow Cat. The only person he'd shown snippets of these to was Ned, who constantly urged him to share them on Tumblr. But Peter wasn't really the social media type. 

But the biggest change was, as Tony had said, at night. At first, Peter had nightmares once or twice a week. Then it was once a month. Now, it was almost never. Peter was getting enough sleep. Friday wasn't constantly waking Tony up to calm Peter down, so Tony was also getting enough sleep. 

And so, although he knew his life would never be the same, Peter was beginning to find a new definition of normal, of happy, of perfect.

“Now, come on,” said Tony, patting his shoulder and startling him from his thoughts. “Your mom made blueberry pancakes, and then you and I are going to work in the garage.”

Peter hopped out of bed and followed Tony to the kitchen, where Morgan was setting the table. 

“Happy birthday, Peter,” Pepper greeted him. “How does it feel to be seventeen?”

“Um… not that different than being sixteen, to be honest,” Peter said. “The pancakes smell delicious.”

Morgan came up to him just then, and held up a folded piece of colored paper. “Happy birthday!”

“Thanks, Morgs,” Peter said, giving her a bear hug. He opened the hand-drawn card, which read, ‘Happy Birthday!’ 

“I made it all by myself!” Morgan said proudly. It didn’t surprise Peter that Morgan knew how to spell the words Happy Birthday. She had been homeschooled for Preschool and Kindergarten, and picked up on reading, writing, and math easily.

“I love it,” Peter said. He set the card next to his place at the table as Pepper served them each a small pile of pancakes.

Later, Peter and Tony went to the garage, where they had been working on the design for a spaceship, though neither of them had any wish to venture into space ever again.

They worked for a few hours before Tony received a message. 

“Pep wants us outside,” said Tony.

“For what?” asked Peter.

Tony shrugged and went to the exterior garage door, and when Peter stepped outside, he could not believe his eyes.

The yard from the house to the shed had been decorated in reds and blues (obviously aiming for a Spider-Man theme, Peter assumed). And underneath the balloons, blowing noisemakers at him, were not only Ned and Shuri (who he had been texting back and forth with since Christmas), but Cassie and Lila, too. Their families were there as well.

“Happy birthday!” they all cheered.

“Wow, thanks, guys,” said Peter, grinning from ear to ear.

“Dude, your house is amazing!” Ned said as they hugged and performed their not-that-secret handshake.

“Uh, thanks,” said Peter.

“Mm, it’s not as nice as mine,” said Shuri.

“You live in a palace,” Peter said. “Not a fair comparison.”

“A palace?” Lila repeated.

“I am the princess of Wakanda,” Shuri told them. “Of course I live in a palace.”

The five teenagers talked and laughed as Peter led them out to the dock. “Well, looks like my dad brought the boats out.”

Two rowboats had been tied to next to the dock, each big enough for three people.

“Oh, I’ve never been in a rowboat before,” said Cassie. “Can we get in them?”

Peter’s phone buzzed at that moment with a text from Tony that said ‘Boats are open for use. Thought your friends might enjoy it. You should probably put on your swimsuits, though.’

After Peter told his friends this, they went inside the house, where the girls changed in the kid’s bathroom and Ned and Peter changed in his room.

“Your room is so cool,” said Ned.

“Come on, man,” Peter said, about to open the door.

“Holy shit, I forgot you were ripped,” said Ned.

Peter looked down. He still had a six-pack, but it wasn’t the gross kind that body-builders had. It just looked like he was athletic.

Ned, on the other hand, was wearing a loose t-shirt to apparently hide his body shape. 

“All of those girls are really pretty…” said Ned. “They’re not going to hate me because I’m fat, right?”

“They are pretty,” said Peter in a low voice. “But they’re also really nice. Just give them a chance.”

“So, are you and Shuri, like, together?” asked Ned.

“What?” Peter looked at him, surprised. “No, of course not. She’s just my friend. We only know each other because her brother and my dad work together.”

“But you work with them, too, don’t you?” asked Ned. “You’re Spider-Man. Aren’t you an Avenger?”

“It’s a little more complicated than that,” Peter told him.

A door opened in the hallway.

“Are you boys ready yet?” Shuri called.

“I told you guys take longer than girls to change,” said Lila. “And then they complain about us.”

Peter opened the door. “We’re ready. We were just talking.”

Lila and Cassie looked Peter up and down, both looking impressed. Ned nervously scooted out of the room behind him.

But it seemed Cassie had chosen to cover-up, as well, wearing a skirted bikini bottom and a tankini-top that covered her chest. Shuri and Lila had both chosen form-fitting mid-riff tank-tops and swim shorts.

Comparing the five of them, Peter’s swim trunks were the most revealing outfit of all of them.

“You’re not going to get sunburnt like that?” asked Lila.

“I heal really fast,” Peter said, leading them all back outside. “Just one of the perks of being bitten by a radioactive spider.”

“That’s how you got your powers?” asked Cassie.

“Pretty much,” said Peter.

Lila and Cassie marveled at him, but Peter paid them no mind. 

Back on the dock, Peter and Shuri climbed into the smaller boat, while Ned, Cassie and Lila took the other one, as apparently Lila and Peter were the only ones who knew how to row.

Then they set off, heading for the center of the lake. Peter knew he could go for hours, but he didn’t want Lila to get too tired.

Luckily, Lila was forcing Cassie and Ned to learn, too, and pretty soon they were all taking turns.

Peter looked behind him at Shuri. 

“I don’t suppose you want to learn to row?” asked Peter.

“I’m here for moral support, Spidey,” said Shuri. “And you’re doing a great job.”

Peter rolled his eyes and kept going.

“This lake is a lot bigger than I thought,” said Cassie.

“I know right?” said Lila. 

“Alright, everyone say cheese!” Shuri said, holding up her phone.

After she snapped a picture, Peter asked, “Did you really bring your phone to the middle of the lake?”

“A phone I designed to be 100% waterproof, yes,” said Shuri. “And everything on it is backed up to a cloud servor, so I don’t have to worry if I break it.”

“Okay, but what if you drop it and it sinks to the bottom of the lake?” asked Ned. 

Shuri looked at Peter, giving him a sweet smile.

“No way am I diving all the way down there,” said Peter. “You’d better hold onto it.”

She glared at him, but slipped the phone back into her pocket, which was in her top. As they made their way back to the dock, Cassie and Lila pressed Shuri with questions about her custom-made phone.

“I’m still working on a way to make it untraceable,” Shuri told them.

“Have you tried encryption?” asked Peter.

“Of course I have,” said Shuri.

“Code scrambler?”

“Yes.”

“Bouncing the signal off multiple towers?”

“Obviously.”

“All three together?”

“Ye-,” Shuri paused. “No, I haven’t. Thanks for the idea, Spidey.”

Peter rolled his eyes, an action apparently reserved for the Wakandan princess.

They had just tied the boats to the dock when they heard shouting.

“Absolutely not!” 

“Is that your dad?” Cassie whispered to Lila.

Lila nodded. “I’ve never seen him this angry.”

Indeed, Clint Barton looked murderous. Thankfully, the younger children and their mothers were nowhere in sight, either on a hiking trail or inside. 

Not wanting to be seen, the teenagers dove into the trees nearby where a large patch of brush was growing and did what teens did best. Eavesdropping.

“For the last time, it’s NOT happening!”

“Come on, Clint,” said Rhodey. “Just give it a chance. At least give her the choice.”

“Do you need me to say it in twelve different languages?” Clint asked, almost mockingly. “No, non, nein, laa, nahi, iie-”

“Can we please have this argument some other time?” Tony interrupted. “This was supposed to be a birthday party.”

Clint looked at him, and crossed his arms. “Are you letting him do it?”

“I am,” said Tony. “But my situation is a lot different than yours. This decision is between you and your daughter.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Clint said.

“Hope and I are giving Cassie the choice,” said Scott Lang. “But our situation is different, too. Cass has powers. She’s a little more equipped for this.”

“But Lila has skills that set her apart from the average human,” said Steve. “Archery, gymnastics, martial arts..." 

“She learned those things for fun,” Clint argued. “Not because she wanted to be a superhero or a spy.”

“I remember you saying once that she wanted to be just like Nat,” said Rhodey.

“I DON’T need you throwing that back in my face,” said Clint sharply.

“Nobody’s throwing anything in anyone’s face,” Steve said, stepping between Clint and Rhodey. “I understand why you’re against Lila joining the Young Avengers, Clint. But don’t you think she deserves to make the decision herself? She’ll be seventeen soon, just like Peter.”

“And? Seventeen is not the age of majority,” Clint reminded them. “You can’t even enlist at seventeen. How can they allow them to join the most elite and dangerous team in the world?”

“They train for over a year,” Tony explained. “They won’t be going on real missions until they’re well over the age of eighteen.”

Peter felt some disappointment in his chest. He had to wait that long? Surely he’d be able to skip some of the training? He had a lot of experience, after all.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” asked Clint.

“No,” said Scott. “It’s just how the recruitment is supposed to work. We’re not trying to bully you into anything Clint. We just want you to have all the facts.”

“And what about you? Are you letting Shuri join?” 

Clint had turned to T’Challa now, and Peter felt Shuri shift next to him.

“Shuri is my sister, not my child,” said T’Challa. “I only bring her to your parties because she has befriended Stark’s son. As it is, my mother has already granted permission for her to join the Young Avengers, for multiple reasons.”

Scott cleared his throat. “Which are?”

“Formality, politics, and because she believes it will keep Shuri out of trouble.”

“Okay, I get the first two, but that third one doesn’t make sense,” said Clint. 

T’Challa shrugged. “It does to my mother.”

“So,” said Steve. “Has anyone else noticed the boats have returned, and there’s not a teenager in sight?”

The other Avengers stiffened, looking over at the boats, and then glancing wildly around. 

Naturally, Clint spotted them first, and pointed directly at the patch of brush they were hiding in.

The five of them stood up and smiled sheepishly.

“How long have you been there?” asked Tony.

“Um… about five minutes?” Peter said.

Tony facepalmed. “You’re lucky it’s your birthday.”

“Looks like they would make good spies,” said Rhodey. “Even… what’s your name again?”

“N-Ned Leeds, Mr. War Machine, sir,” Ned stammered.

“Oh, look at that,” Tony said. “Even your fans don’t accept that you’re the ‘Iron Patriot’ now.”

“Shut up, Tony,” said Rhodey, an amused grin on his face.

“This would probably be a great time to transition to lunch, don’t you think?” asked Steve. 

“Yes, yes, it would,” said Tony.

“We’ll be right back,” said Clint, unable to ignore the confused and curious look on Lila’s face. 

“There’s a nice trail over there,” Tony pointed as they walked away. “Private, too.”

Lila and her father returned twenty minutes later, when Peter was already on his third hotdog, looking pleased.

“I don’t get it,” said Cassie. “How are you so skinny?”

“I have a really fast metabolism,” Peter explained.

“Another perk of being bitten by a radioactive spider?” asked Lila as she sat down with her own plate of hot dogs and chips.

Peter pursed his lips. “Yeah, it stops being a perk when you suddenly need pain meds.”

The girls visibly flinched.

“So, did your dad say you could be a Young Avenger?” Cassie asked, turning to Lila. 

“After a really long sort-of argument,” Lila said. “He said yes.”

“Yes!” cried Shuri. “How did you convince him?”

“I have no idea,” Lila shrugged. 

“Right, so, you guys do know that Captain America has superhearing like me, right?” asked Peter. “Like, he can hear us even when we whisper?”

The five of them looked over at the larger table where the adults sat and saw Steve watching them from the corner of his eye. He grinned evilly and then turned back to Scott, who was telling a story.

“So maybe we shouldn’t talk about this right now…” Lila said. “Damn, that’s going to get annoying.”

“I don’t think he does it on purpose,” said Peter. “I mean I don’t… it’s really hard to ignore sounds and voices and words sometimes.”

“As long as he doesn’t go spreading gossip,” Cassie said. “Then I can deal with it. Otherwise, he might wake up one day missing a limb.”

“Great, then he’ll match Bucky,” said Shuri.

A burst of laughter startled them as they looked over again and saw Bucky doubled-over in his chair. The other Avengers stared at him in confusion.

“Shut up, Bucky!” Steve said, glaring at him from across the table.

“But you heard them!” Bucky said, cackling. “You’ll match me!”

Peter and his friends couldn’t help but laugh, too, particularly at looks on their parents' faces.

“Oh, yeah, Bucky has super-hearing, too,” said Shuri. “Did I forget to mention that?”

Peter facepalmed, looking far more like Tony than he intended. 

“Alright, people, time for presents!” Pepper called.

“What?” said Peter.

“What, did you think we just came for the cake?” asked Shuri, linking her arm through his. “Come on, Spidey.”

She dragged him into the house, where Pepper had summoned them all.

And Peter was pushed into a chair right next to a pile of presents. 

He felt more than a little queasy now, with so many eyes on him. 

But then he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder. He looked up at Tony, who gave him a reassuring smile.

“You got this,” Tony whispered so that only Peter could hear (and the other two goddamn super-humans, maybe three if you counted Bruce, who was sitting on the floor behind the couch).

And so, in front of everyone, Peter somehow managed to open each gift. 

Some of them were really normal, like the video games from the Bartons and the Lego sets from Ned. Even Steve and Bucky had bought him perfectly teenager-appropriate Nerf guns.

Others were school-related, like the file organizer, highlighter set, and sticky note variety packs from Carol (who had not stayed for the party, but dropped off a gift nonetheless). 

Then there were the this-is-definitely-because-you’re-Spider-Man gifts. Like the Bo staff from Rhodey, or the combat knife set from Happy (who earned a glare from Tony). From Thor (who had sent his gift through Carol), he received an Asgardian sword and shield that were perfectly balanced and just the right size, as though crafted specifically for Peter, though he wasn’t sure when he would actually use them in combat.

Finally, he opened a gift from Tony and Pepper - a brand-new custom-made Stark tablet that connected Peter directly to Karen, and a similarly designed laptop for school.

“Speaking of school,” said Happy. “Have you picked one yet, kid?”

Peter turned away from the sleek exterior of what he knew was a very expensive supercomputer. “Uh, yeah. I chose Columbia.”

The next five minutes were full of ‘congratulations’ and questions about his major (which he wasn’t sure why that was a question) and other specifics that he didn’t actually have yet. 

“My orientation isn’t until next month…” Peter said. “So I don’t really have a class schedule yet.”

Scott, of course, had to be the one who asked the awkward question: Why Columbia?

Thankfully, Bruce took that moment to ask about cake, and Peter was saved from explaining that he'd chosen Columbia because he didn't want to leave his new family. 

As they gathered on the large porch to enjoy colorful birthday cake, Peter found himself next to the green giant.

“Hey, kid,” Bruce greeted him. “I guess we haven’t really had the time to chat.”

“Uh… no, I guess we haven’t,” Peter said.

“You excited to be going to school?” Bruce asked conversationally.

Peter had to work very hard not to choke on his cake. He was having a mundane discussion with Dr. Bruce Banner, the most renowned scientist of their time.

“Yeah, I can’t wait,” Peter said honestly.

“They’ll be lucky to have you,” Bruce said. “Tony told us you’re a genius.”

“He said that?” Peter asked.

“Why? Is it not true?”

“No- I mean, yes, it is… I mean, I’m smart, I guess.”

Bruce held up one large finger. “Rule number one of being a genius superhero - you don’t say ‘I guess’. You either are, or you aren’t.”

“I am,” said Peter, with a little more confidence. “I am a genius. I just… don’t like to brag about it.”

Bruce chuckled. “Don’t worry, kid, it took me years to get where I am today. I wasn’t nearly as sure of myself back when I first joined the Avengers.”

“Do you still work on biochemistry and nuclear physics?” Peter asked.

This brought a huge grin to the doctor’s face, and for the next half-hour the two of them discussed gamma radiation and superhumans. The radioactive spider eventually came up, too, and Bruce cast a few of his own theories about it.

One by one, the guests wished Peter a happy birthday one last time before heading home. When just the four of them were left - Tony, Pepper, Peter, and a very sleepy Morgan, they returned to the living room for a small dinner. It was already very late by this point, so Tony carried Morgan to bed while Pepper helped Peter organize and store his gifts. 

“We could have a display case made for these if you want,” said Pepper, pointing to the sword and shield. “Unless you intend on using them. They seem really heavy.”

Peter picked the two Asgardian pieces up with ease and carried them to his closet. “They’re not that heavy,” he commented.

He heard a pop then, and felt something blunt hit the back of his head. 

“Brat,” said Pepper, holding one of his Nerf guns.

“No Nerf gun wars in the house - your rule, not mine,” said Tony, popping his head into the room. Pepper then aimed at him, and he bolted. 

Peter laughed, taking the Nerf guns and putting them in a chest in the corner of his room, where he stored all of his outdoor things. With his laptop, tablet, and new school supplies organized on is desk, he turned back to Pepper.

“That’s everything,” he said. “Night, Mom.”

“Good night, Peter,” said Pepper, kissing him on the cheek. “I’m glad you had fun today.”

As she left the room, Tony reappeared, and gave Peter a hug.

“Steve left this for you,” Tony said, pulling away and holding up a large orange envelope. 

Printed on the back was the Avengers insignia.

“What is it?” Peter asked.

“The official recruitment package to join the Young Avengers,” Tony said. “I can help you with the forms tomorrow, but I thought you’d want to read through it on your own before I butted in.”

Peter turned it over in his hands as he walked to his desk.

“Just don’t stay up too late, kiddo,” he said. “Good night.”

“I won’t. Good night, Dad.”

And just like that, he was one step closer to being Spider-Man again.


	13. They Don't Know Me, Cause I'm Not Here

“Got everything?” asked Tony, leaning against Peter’s door frame. 

Peter was at his bed, zipping up his suitcase. “Yeah, I think so.”

Today was the day they were moving back to New York City, and Peter had spent the last two days deciding what to pack. He didn’t need clothes or toiletries or even posters, as he had a fully stocked room and bathroom at the penthouse, though he did grab his favorite hoodie and shoes. 

All that was in his suitcase was his laptop, tablet, new school supplies, therapy journal, Nintendo console, and some other things that weren’t already there.

Shadow hopped onto the bed and rubbed himself against the suitcase. Chuckling, Tony sauntered over and scooped the cat up. 

“Don’t worry, Shadow,” Tony said, stroking the purring furball. “You’re coming, too. Now, where’s your carrier?”

“By the desk,” said Peter. “I already packed his stuff.”

Tony picked up the carrier, slipping the cat inside and zipping it, and Shadow’s bag of supplies and started for the door. “Are you sure you aren’t forgetting anything?”

“No, this is it,” said Peter, lifting his suitcase carefully. He didn’t want to damage any of the devices inside. “Wait, where’s my suit?”

Tony chuckled. “Well, it was still in the garage this morning, so I put it back in its case for you. It’s already in the car.”

Peter sighed in relief. “Thanks, Dad. I guess I haven’t been Spider-Man in so long that I forgot about it.”

“I know the feeling,” said Tony. “Sometimes I can’t believe it’s been a year.”

Peter nodded in agreement. It certainly was a crazy thought, that, a year ago, Peter had woken up on Titan without Tony and found out he’d been dead for five years and his life would never be the same. 

And the thought was so depressing that it could be debilitating. 

Depression. That had been another obstacle Peter had faced since Aunt May’s death. Dr. Leon, who Peter started seeing again shortly after his birthday and orientation at Columbia, had said it was one of the many ways his PTSD would manifest itself, and that many of the un-Vanished were going through similar struggles.

So Peter, every now and then, would find it hard to get out of bed in the morning. Days like this, Tony would come in and make him get up. They would eat breakfast and do the dishes together, and then play retro video games in the living room. Sometimes Pepper and Morgan would join them, but mostly it was just the two of them. 

And no matter how quiet Peter was, or how many times he said he was too tired, Tony wouldn’t let Peter go back to bed. He kept Peter busy, until, finally, he would crack a smile or a joke. Peter wasn’t sure how Tony did it, but by the end of the day he always felt his motivation returning. He would go back to his room, take out his journal, and draw another short comic about Shadow Cat, who always went on some inspirational adventure.

By the time August rolled around, Peter had regained most of his confidence and positivity. He still had moments where he remembered all the crap he’d been through, but he would force himself to look up - to look at Tony or Pepper or Morgan, to look at the pictures of his friends on his phone, or at his class schedule for Columbia. 

Once, he’d even done this with Steve Rogers, who had been over for dinner with Rhodey, and for a second he let himself marvel at the fact that he was sitting across from Captain America. 

Sure, Peter had been through hell and back, but he was getting through it, one day at a time. 

Excitement buzzed through Peter as he loaded his one suitcase next to the one that contained his Spidey suit. It was then that he noticed there were three metal cases, rather than just two (one for Peter and one for Tony).

“What’s in the third case?” Peter asked Pepper, who had followed him outside with luggage of her own. Tony had stopped to help Morgan round up Spike in his carrier.

“That’s my suit,” said Pepper, adding a light blue suitcase and a smaller purple one to the mix. “We’re going to be in ground zero of alien invasions. I figured I may as well be prepared.”

“What’s your superhero persona?” asked Peter, throwing his backpack into.

Pepper chuckled as she double-checked Morgan’s car seat. “You mean a name? I never really gave myself one. It’s just armor to me. But if you can come up with one, let me know.”

Peter thought carefully about this. “What about ‘Rescue’?”

“It’s a nice name,” said Pepper. “But who have I ever rescued?”

Tony and Morgan emerged from the house at that moment, and Peter couldn’t help but give Pepper a meaningful look. Pepper smiled and kissed him on the cheek before going over to help Morgan, who was struggling to carry Shadow in his carrier. Tony had Spike on a leash in one hand, and an empty dog carrier in the other.

“Here, I’ll get that in the car,” said Peter, taking the carrier and maneuvering it into the very back seat. He and Tony somehow managed to coax Spike into it with a rope toy.

Tony returned to the house for Spike and Shadow’s bags, and it seemed they were all set to go. 

“Bye, house!” cried Morgan, waved.

“See you in the winter!” Peter added.

Pepper and Tony laughed and waved at the house, too, before the four of them climbed into the SUV and set out for the city.

* * *

It didn’t take Peter long to unpack in his new room at the penthouse.

He arranged Shadow’s things in the corner, tossing his carrier in the closet. His laptop, tablet, and schoolbooks went on the desk, then he plugged in various chargers around the room. There was already a base for his Nintendo console connected to the TV above his dresser, so Peter slid the console into place to charge so he could play it later, maybe with Ned.

Then he sat down on his large bed and looked around at his new room, which was both familiar and foreign to him. Tony must have chosen the decor himself, as it was very similar to what he’d had in his bedroom at his and May’s apartment. There were posters for his favorite movies and videogames, all framed instead of just taped to the wall. Albert Einstein hung above his desk on the light blue wall.

It was very nerdy, very Peter. 

He opened his dresser next. The last time he’d rummaged through these, he’d been above to see his aunt for the first time in five years (for her, at least). 

The top drawers were the only thing that had changed. Whoever had picked out his socks and underwear had chosen loose boxers for him that Peter didn’t find comfortable. On a shopping trip with Pepper back in February, Peter had picked out the brand of boxer briefs that he preferred. Apparently Pepper had been paying attention, as all of the old underwear had been replaced by the same kind.

The next set of drawers contained neatly folded T-shirts and tank tops, some with witty or nerdy jokes on them, and others with his favorite characters. There were two new ones that he was certain hadn’t been there before about cats. The bottom two drawers were full of jeans and shorts. 

In the closet were some nicer polos and button-ups alongside Khaki, navy, and black slacks. Two different pairs of dress shoes sat above the rack of clothes on a shelf. The floor below contained various other shoes that someone had deemed essential for a teenage boy, most notably Adidas, Converse, and Vans. 

Peter tried not to roll his eyes. Happy had definitely bought his shoes for him. Had it been Tony, Peter was certain there would be four different pairs of Converse, each in a different color. Pepper would have chosen Nike. He added the pair of high-top Converse he’d brought from the cabin and closed the closet.

He could hear Morgan bounding around through all the rooms.

“Peter!” came Pepper’s voice from in the distance. “You hungry?”

“Coming!” He answered, leaving his door open as he headed for the kitchen so that Shadow could explore.

He wasn’t surprised to find Pepper opening all of the cabinets, as though taking inventory, or Morgan already teaching Spike where his water bowl was. He did not, however, expect to see Steve Rogers sitting on one of the barstools, sipping from a glass of water.

“Hey, Queens,” Steve greeted him.

“Hi, Cap,” said Peter. 

Peter spent the past year deciding what to call him - saying ‘Mr. Captain Steve Rogers’ or ‘Captain America’ made him sound like an idiot, but it felt weird to just call him ‘Steve’. Tony wouldn’t let him say ‘Mr. Rogers’, either. So he’d settled on Tony’s nickname for him - ‘Cap’. Every now and then, he felt bold enough to call him ‘Brooklyn’, too. Steve didn’t seem to care, either way.

“Where’d Dad go?” asked Peter, taking the barstool next to Steve.

“His lab,” Pepper answered. “He wanted to make sure everything was still in its place.”

“And it is,” said a voice behind them.

Peter glanced at the elevator that Tony had stepped out of. 

“Hey, Cap, fancy seeing you here,” said Tony, sitting down on Peter’s other side.

Steve sighed. “I wish I could say this was just a social visit.”

“Is it ever?” asked Tony, exasperated.

“I’m sure you’ve heard about the accords,” said Steve.

“That everything went through?” asked Tony. “Yes, I heard.”

“Which also means the Young Avengers have been approved,” Steve continued.

Peter, who had been pretending to play with his phone, looked up at Steve. Steve gave him a small smile before looking past him at Tony. Peter followed his gaze, suddenly wishing he wasn’t sitting between them.

Although Tony and Steve were friends again, it was very easy for tension to rise whenever either of them brought up the new legislation, despite them being a considerable improvement from the Sokovia Accords. 

The legislation, nicknamed the ‘New World Accords’, had been drafted by a small committee far from Secretary Ross’ influence. Tony, Steve, and several of their allies (Rocket Raccoon, Nebula, Valkyrie, Carol Danvers, and Stephen Strange) all had a hand in its language and policies.

The Avengers now had a representative with the United Nations, as well as an attorney. The Compound also had a new specialized resident medical team, led by Dr. Helen Cho, who was happy to work with the Avengers once more.

What led to the most arguments between the Avengers was the Young Avengers program. Once they’d all gotten past allowing their own children into the program, the Avengers had to decide on training methods and other things that Peter hadn’t been privy to, which led to another series of disagreements. 

“How many recruits have you got?” asked Tony, sounding genuinely curious.

“Six,” Steve replied. “Wanda is now too young to be an Avenger, so she’s sort of been demoted to Young Avenger.”

Pepper put plates in front of each of them, taking a seat next to Tony. Morgan had taken a hot dog and chips and been allowed to eat in her new room. “Considering how old some of you are getting, it’s probably best that she becomes accustomed to her future team. But that still doesn’t add up to six.” She counted on her fingers. “Wanda, Peter, Shuri, Lila, and Cassie.”

“The last one is new,” said Steve. “Rhodey found him in some hick town in, uh, Tennessee or Georgia…”

Tony coughed violently, as though choking on his hot dog, startling them all. “Tennessee?”

Steve raised an eyebrow at him. “So you know him.”

“I didn’t say that,” said Tony. 

“Rhodey said he’d send you his file,” Steve told him. 

“Is that what he sent me?” asked Tony, putting on his glasses and reading something only he could see.

“You didn’t even read it?”

“All of his messages lately have been full of boring political jargon,” said Tony.

Steve shook his head. “Every time I think you’ve changed…”

“His dislike for politics seems to be a core part of his personality,” said Pepper, rolling her eyes. “Take that away, and you don’t have Tony Stark anymore.”

Tony took off his glasses, looking annoyed.

“You know him, don’t you?” asked Steve.

“See, if I answered that question, I’d make your life way too easy,” said Tony. “So I’m just going to let you wonder for a bit, and then maybe I’ll consider telling you.”

Peter wondered if Tony was just bullshitting, or if he actually did know who the new recruit was. If he did, how had he met him? And how long ago? Had it been during the five years Peter had been gone? 

Steve didn’t push for any more information from Tony, however, so when Peter finished his lunch, he cleared his dishes and set them in the sink, heading for Morgan’s room to see what she was up to. As soon as he popped his head inside, she jumped up off the floor.

“Can we play Mario Kart?” 

“Hmm…” said Peter. “I’m not sure Mom would want you to play a video game with all these toys on the floor. We’ve only been here an hour. How did you make a mess so quickly?”

Quick as lightning, Morgan picked up her stuffed animals, directing Peter to sit them up around her pillows, and stashed her other toys in their proper places around the room. Peter had to hand it to her - she was very organized for someone who had just turned six.

“Can Spike go in your room?” Morgan asked.

“Sure, but only because you’ve trained him so well,” said Peter, leading the way to his room to set up a game of Mario Kart. 

Tony and Steve stopped in the doorway just as they were finishing their third race.

“I win!” Morgan cheered. “Daddy, I finally won!”

Tony chuckled, sitting down on the bed with them. “Good job, Morgs. Pete’s taught you well.”

Peter gave him a small smile. “I try… so, what’s up?”

Steve took a step forward. “I wanted you to know that your training officially begins the first weekend of November. You and the other recruits will be expected to stay at the Compound every other weekend or so, to begin with.”

Peter nodded. “Got it. Thanks, Cap.”

“Great,” said Steve. “Then, I’ll see you all later. I hope you enjoy the city again.”

“Daddy, do you want to play?” asked Morgan after Steve left.

“I’ll play in a few minutes,” said Tony. “I promised Mommy I’d take care of the dishes first.”

True to his word, Tony did return a little while later, with Pepper at his side. The four of them made themselves comfortable on Peter’s bed, each with a console controller. Morgan preferred to play as Baby Peach, while Peter chose Yoshi. Tony always picked Wario and Pepper played as Toadette.

Half an hour in, Peter and Pepper had won most of the races, though they’d let Morgan win a fair number.

“You’re not very good at this game, are you?” Pepper asked Tony.

“Apparently, I’m not,” said Tony. 

“Peter can teach you,” said Morgan. “He’s really good.”

“He is,” said Pepper. “Now, I think it’s time you and I took Spike for a walk.”

“Okay,” said Morgan. “Can Uncle Happy come, too?”

“If he wants,” said Pepper, giving Tony a kiss before following Morgan and Spike out of the room.

“How are you doing, kiddo?” Tony asked.

“Good,” said Peter.

“Excited to start school next month?” 

“And a little terrified, yeah,” Peter admitted.

Tony threw an arm around his shoulders. “You’ll do great, Pete. And I think you’re going to meet some great people, too.”

Peter leaned into him. “Want to watch something?”

“Sounds good to me,” said Tony, picking up Peter’s remote and changing to the Hulu app. It never ceased to amaze Peter that most of the streaming services that had existed before the Snap were still around. 

They’d changed considerably, but each of them had kept their basic services and style the same. Netflix, for example, continued to ask if you were still watching every three episodes. 

Tony chose an old cartoon series that both of them enjoyed - Scooby Doo. But Peter found himself unable to focus on the mystery of Uncle Stuart.

Instead, his thoughts turned to the new recruit Steve had talked about earlier. He couldn’t help but wonder why Tony hadn’t wanted to talk about it. 

“Who is the sixth?” Peter asked. “The sixth Young Avenger?”

Tony took a deep breath before answering. “He’s smart, like you. I was going to introduce you both at Thanksgiving, but it looks like you’re meeting him before that.”

“How come you haven’t mentioned him before?”

“Both of you were going through a rough time,” said Tony. “And it didn’t seem fair to bring him to New York or go barge in while his family is trying to get back on their feet.”

“When did you meet him?”

“Ah… back in… 2012, I think,” Tony said.

Peter turned his head sharply. “You’ve known him for eleven years?”

“It’s a long story.”

“And you’re not going to tell me?”

“Not yet,” said Tony. “But I will. Promise.”

Peter sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to get anything else out of Tony today. He forced himself to relax, to forget about the mystery kid for now, and watch the next episode of Scooby Doo.

Some time later, Tony was gently shaking him awake.

“Damn, for someone who doesn’t need much sleep, you sure do it easily,” Tony commented. “And how dare you fall asleep to Scooby Doo.”

“What? I was tired,” Peter said. “Scooby Doo is great to fall asleep to.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “We’ve still got a few hours before dinner time. Why don’t I give you a tour of our lab?”

“Our lab?” Peter repeated.

“Yes, our lab,” Tony said, already standing and stretching. “What, did you think I’d make you work downstairs in the research labs?”

Peter grinned and followed Tony out of the room and to the elevator.

Tony had already set up Peter’s access codes, and uploaded Karen to the lab’s computers from the Spidey-suit. Peter had his own workspace - an expanse of countertop, holographic displays, and everything else a boy genius could ever want. 

“Hello, Peter, how have you been?” Karen asked. 

“Good,” said Peter. “You like our new lab?”

“Stark Tower contains the most advanced technology in the world,” said Karen. “It will certainly suit your needs.”

“Friday, did we program Spiderman’s A.I. with sarcasm or did it just develop over time?” asked Tony.

“I do not believe that was sarcasm, sir,” Friday replied. “But I can add that to her program if you want.”

“No, no need for that,” said Tony. “By the way, why did you name your A.I. Karen?”

“Why did you name yours Friday?” asked Peter.

“If you don’t get the movie reference then I don’t know what to tell you,” Tony said. 

Peter rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why I picked Karen. I was trapped in the Deep Storage Vault, and I decided to give her a name.”

“What did you call her before that?”

“That’s not import-”

“Suit Lady,” said Karen.

“Karen!” cried Peter, betrayed.

Tony burst out laughing. “Suit Lady?”

“Well, you didn’t give her a name!” cried Peter. “I didn’t know what to call her!”

“Sorry,” Tony said, wiping a tear from his eye. “I get it, she was a female voice in your suit. Out of context, though, it’s very funny. And Karen, let’s not tell the other Avengers that. Or Peter’s friends.”

“Understood,” said Karen.

“Well, you’ve seen the penthouse and the lab. But that’s only the top floors. How about a tour of the rest of Stark Industries before dinner?”

“Sure!” cried Peter, happily following Tony to the elevator.


	14. And I Want A Moment To Be Real

Peter ran his fingers over the spines of the books on the shelf that was eye level with him, tilting his head so he could read the sideways titles about robotics.

Thanks to the A.P. credits he’d been granted from the jumpstart exams (as they’d been nicknamed), Peter had skipped a number of general education courses, leaving more room in his schedule for electives. He’d managed to snag a spot in the introductory robotics course, which fit nicely into his minor. 

“Peter,” came a not-very-quiet whisper somewhere near his elbow. 

Peter looked down, and grinned. “Morgan, you’re supposed to be in the children’s section.”

“But I wanted to show you what I found.” Morgan held up a large, colorful book hardback with various fairy tale characters decorating the cover. 

“Andrew Lang’s fairy books,” Peter read. “Sounds like some good bedtime stories.”

She beamed, and then lifted herself onto her tippy-toes, peering at the shelf that Peter still held his hand. “What’re you looking for?”

“A book on robotics, specifically coding.”

“Daddy knows a lot about robots,” Morgan told him. “He built DUM-E.”

“Yes, but you see, when you get older and have to write essays on stuff like this,” Peter explained. “Your professor isn’t going to accept what you have to say just because your dad says it’s true. You’ve got to have books and articles and other stuff to prove it.”

“Then maybe Daddy should write a book,” said Morgan. “So your professor will believe you.”

Peter chuckled, pulling out a heavy book and flipping through the pages. “That’s a genius idea, Morgs.”

“Peter?” 

Peter and Morgan both turned towards the new voice, and his breath caught in his throat. 

There, at the end of the aisle, pushing a baby carriage and looking very adult-like, were, quite possibly, the last two people he wanted to see.

“M.J.?” Peter said. “Flash?”

Flash grinned, surprising Peter. “Oh, man, it’s so good to see you!”

Peter stiffened as Flash pulled him into a hug and squeezed. As though noticing this, the older man immediately released him and stepped back.

Morgan seemed to sense Peter’s displeasure, too, as she stepped forward and held up her book, ready to strike.

“It’s okay, Morgan,” Peter assured her. “Don’t hit him.”

The six-year-old lowered the book, but kept Flash fixed in her glare. Flash glanced between the two of them.

M.J. had finally maneuvered the baby carriage into the aisle, and gave Flash a pitying look. She wisely kept her distance.

“It really is good to see you, Peter,” said M.J. “We heard about your aunt. Ned wouldn’t give us your number to contact you, though. Are you doing alright? Did you have family to take you in?”

“Of course he has family! He’s my brother!” Morgan cried, trying her very best to still whisper.

“I thought you were an only child,” said Flash. “And your parents died.”

“I was adopted by my godfather,” Peter said. He wasn’t sure why, but he really didn’t want to tell them more than he had to. “This is my little sister, Morgan.”

“I didn’t know you had a godfather,” said M.J., waving to the still glaring Morgan. “But I’m glad you had someone to go to. Ned said both of you are going to Columbia. What’s your major?”

“Engineering,” said Peter. “And a minor in robotics. What about you guys? I’m guessing you both went to college?”

“Oh, yeah,” said Flash, trying, like Morgan, to keep his volume down. “We both went to NYU, Mich got her bachelor’s in business and I’m finishing at NYU’s school of law.”

“And Ned said he told you we got married,” said M.J., tentatively. 

“Yeah,” Peter confirmed. “And you named your son after me. I’m flattered.”

M.J. frowned at his flat tone. “Peter, are you angry with us? I mean, I know you and Flash didn’t get along in school, but he’s grown up a lot.”

Peter sighed. “Morgs, why don’t you go show Happy your book? Maybe you can read one of the stories to him?”

Morgan huffed and walked away, muttering something about ‘adult conversations were boring anyways’.

Once she was gone, Peter turned back to M.J. and Flash. “I would say ‘didn’t get along’ is a bit of an understatement. Remember his favorite nickname for me? Penis Parker. Damn, Flash, it wasn’t even that clever.”

Flash looked… ashamed, and opened his mouth, perhaps to apologize, but Peter didn’t give him the chance.

“And yeah, I know you guys spent the last five years without me and Ned and half our class, and I’m sure you’ve been through a lot of shit, but for me, it was only a year ago that Flash was being an ass to me, and you weren’t exactly the nicest person, either, M.J. I had a crush on you, and I’m pretty sure you knew it, but you were still a jerk.”

Both of them were speechless as Peter took a breath.

“So please, don’t expect me to be excited to see either of you and treat you like old friends, because honestly, you weren’t. Don’t pretend like being on the Decathlon team together gave us a special bond.

“And don’t get me wrong. I do mean it when I say I’m flattered that you named your son after me. I died. You wanted to honor me or something, that’s great. But now I’m back, and I’d just like to get on with my life. Maybe Peter Thompson will grow up in a better world than we did.”

He pulled one more book off the shelf that he’d been eyeing earlier. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go home and study.”

With that, he turned on his heel, and walked away with grace and speed in the direction Morgan had gone.

Five minutes later, Peter was at the check-out counter with his parents, Happy, and Morgan. Morgan had apparently informed them of who Peter had been talking to, but they didn’t press him for anything. 

“You okay, Pete?” was all Tony asked.

“Yeah, I’m great,” said Peter. “Actually, I feel a lot better about… certain things.”

Tony’s proud smile suddenly morphed into a smirk as he looked past Peter.

Peter turned to see M.J. and Flash gaping at them from across the room. Peter felt Tony’s arm on his shoulders, and smirked in bemusement as M.J. and Flash glanced at each other with wide eyes before turning back to stare as Peter followed his family out of the library. 

In the car, Peter took out his phone and texted Ned.

_PP: hey, so M.J. and Flash are finna blow up ur phone_

_NL: Y? and did you just say finna?_

_PP: cuz they just found out who my dad is_

_PP: and no i texted it_

_NL: deadass?_

_PP: yea sry_

_NL: how did they find out?_

_PP: ran into them at the library_

_NL: omg i got 50 texts from them already wtf u owe me for this one dude_

_PP: rly sry_

_NL: how sry will u b when I yeet myself out the window?_

_PP: plz dont_

_NL: lets just hope flash doesnt find out ur true identity, cuz he’s a major spidey stan_

_PP: is that really a thing?_

_NL: u have no idea_

_NL: thank god we have a data plan now_

_NL: my phone hasnt dinged so much since I got undusted_

_PP: are they salty with me?_

_NL: no_

_NL: more like_

_NL: shook_

_NL: hella shook_

_PP: did you just say hella?_

_NL: no i texted it_

_PP: blocked_

_NL: dude im like ur only guy friend_

_NL: u cant afford to block me_

_PP: jk_

_PP: yes u r my best friend_

_PP: so plz dont yeet urself out the window_

_NL: kk_

“Everything okay?” asked Pepper from the other side of Morgan’s car seat. Happy was driving, and Tony sat in the passenger seat in front of Peter.

“Yeah, they’re badgering Ned with questions,” Peter explained. “I owe him one.”

“I’m glad the two of you have stuck together,” said Pepper. “He’s a good friend.”

“Yeah, we’ve been buds since we were little,” said Peter.

“Is he still coming over tonight to study?” asked Tony.

“Uh… good question. One sec,” Peter said, tapping his keyboard. Seconds later, his phone dinged with the reply. “Yep, he’s coming. We’ve got a test on Friday in Physics, and it’s like our first one for the semester, so he’s kind of freaking out.”

“Yes, because you’re so calm about it,” Tony remarked. “I’ve seen the mess of notes all over your desk.”

Peter smiled sheepishly. “I get really nervous about tests.”

“Well, since you were too busy looking for robotics books and snubbing your classmates-”

“Tony!” Pepper chided.

“Not snubbing in a bad way - anyways, I checked out a physics book for you,” Tony said, passing it to him.

“Thanks!” said Peter, opening it and flipping through the pages. “Awesome, there’s some practice problems in here!”

Morgan peered at the page. “What do those signs mean?”

“You’ll learn one day, Morgs,” said Peter. “Just focus on your multiplication facts for now.”

Morgan huffed. “My teacher told me we don’t learn them until next year! But I already know my fives! And none of my friends can actually read. They just practice these dumb sight words.”

“They’re not dumb, Morgan,” said Tony. “Sight words are important for kids who are just learning to read. They’re the most common words we use.”

“And you might be the best in math and reading, but that’s not the only thing school is for,” said Pepper. “It’s a good place to make friends.”

“I did already,” said Morgan. “I’ve got five friends. No, wait, just four. Emma said she’s not my friend anymore. I beat her in a game.”

“I don’t think she meant that,” said Peter. “She probably won’t remember it on Monday.”

“What if she does?” asked Morgan.

“Maybe you can offer to play a different game with her? One you know she’s good at?” Pepper said. “Or you could offer to teach her some tricks that could help her win next time. It really depends on the game, and Emma.”

“I’ll try,” said Morgan. “Making friends is hard.”

“Making friends is easy,” said Peter. “Keeping them is the hard part.”

“Yeah,” Morgan said, yawning.

“Sounds like someone needs a nap,” said Tony.

“Not… me,” Morgan yawned.

Moments later, they heard her soft breathing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adding new tags for the next chapter. I didn't want to add them until now to avoid spoilers.


	15. Wanna Touch Things I Don't Feel

_NedtheNerd: cant make it to the quad today. sry mom made me a surprise doc appt_

_Parkinator: ur missin out on sooo much_

_NedtheNerd: yea right_

_Parkinator: no rly. Some dumbass just tried to jump over the fountain on his skateboard_

_NedtheNerd: i take it he failed_

_Parkinator: epicly_

_Parkinator: i bet i could do it_

_NedtheNerd: weird flex but ok_

_NedtheNerd: dont do it_

_Parkinator: y not_

_NedtheNerd: cuz its probly against the rules_

_NedtheNerd: and ur a tiny nerd who shouldnt be capable of cool stunts like that_

_Parkinator: shuri would let me do it_

_NedtheNerd: shuri is a princess in another country, and she would probly build you a whole new fountain to jump over_

_NedtheNerd: complete with a freakin hoop thats on fire_

_Parkinator: …_

_Parkinator: scary part is, ur probly right_

_NedtheNerd: gtg mom is callin_

_Parkinator: np_

Peter sighed and set his phone down next to his open book. Resigning himself to studying alone in the quad, he reached into his bag to retrieve his earphones.

That was when somebody sat down next to him. 

“Advanced robotics? Let me guess, you’re a genius,” he said with a clear southern drawl.

Peter blinked at the other boy. He looked close to his age, a year or two older at the most. Short blonde hair, lightly freckled face. Red plaid shirt and jeans with a black jacket. And startling blue eyes matched with a small smirk.

With some hesitation, Peter said, “Kinda. Why?”

The blonde shrugged. “Just curious. Judging by the physics book and the very organized notes, you’re a freshman.”

“Yeah, and you?” Peter asked, locating his earphones and carefully untangling them.

The other boy’s grin didn’t falter. “Junior.”

Peter nodded, unable to stop the little smile on his face.

“A freshman who’s already taking robotics?” The other boy asked, motioning towards the robotics book Peter had checked out from the library.

“Just the intro class. It’s a pre-req to the rest of them,” Peter explained, finally straightening his earphones. He set them down, not wanting to be rude by putting them in.

The blonde scooted a bit closer. “Yeah, I know. I’ve already taken it.”

“So, what? Are you a genius, too?” Peter looked away, pretending to check the time on his phone to avoid looking directly into the other’s eyes.

“Maybe. I’m Harley, by the way, Harley Keener.”

“Peter Parker.”

“Damn,” Harley said. “How am I supposed to come up with a nickname for you? Pete, Petey?”

Peter wasn’t sure what he meant, but decided to go along with it. “Hey, Harley isn’t much better. Harls sounds like hurls.”

Harley chuckled. “Good point.”

At that moment, a pretty red-haired girl in a Columbia t-shirt tapped Harley on the shoulder.

“Hey, Harley,” she said. “A bunch of us are going to a party tonight. Do you wanna go together?”

Harley gave her a charming smile. “Sorry, Carol, but I’ve got about three essays to work on tonight.”

“Oh, okay,” Carol replied, a fake smile pasted on her face. “Good luck, then.”

“She was cute,” Peter commented, once Carol was out of earshot.

“Yeah, but she’s not really my type,” said Harley with a shrug.

Peter scoffed. “Seriously? You have a type?”

Harley leaned in a little, lowering his voice. “Yeah, I prefer… brown hair and eyes, cute face, really smart… and male…” 

“Oh…” Peter said, just before his brain connected the dots. “Wait, are you fl- are you flirting with me?”

“Maybe. Is it working?”

Peter bit his lip before he could stop himself. “Kinda. I’ve uh… never had a guy flirt with me before.”

Harley scooted closer once more. “Ever had a girl flirt with you?”

“Kinda,” said Peter, mostly truthfully.

“Is that your favorite word?” asked Harley, laughing. It was a nice laugh, not a crazy or annoying one. Just… nice.

Wait, did he really just think that?

“Guess you’ll have to keep flirting to find out, won’t you?” Peter could feel his heartbeat speed up as he met Harley’s eyes, unsure why or how he was flirting with a boy. He didn’t like boys. Did he?

Harley gave him a real smile this time. “Damn… I only just met you and I already want to kiss you. Is that weird?”

It was Peter’s turn to laugh. “You’ve never flirted with a guy before either, have you?”

He held up his hands. “Guilty as charged. Seriously, though. Do you want to have lunch sometime?”

Peter pursed his lips, thinking hard. If he said yes, then Harley would surely call it a date. If he said no, then he’d probably never speak to Peter again, either out of disappointment or embarrassment. For reasons he couldn’t name, he wanted Harley to stick around.

“Sure, why not,” Peter answered.

Harley’s eyes lit up. “You won’t regret it!”

“So, uh, should I give you my number?” asked Peter.

Pulling out a Starkphone that was a couple years older than Peter’s, Harley quickly opened his contacts app, tapped ‘new contact’ and passed the device to Peter.

Peter typed his number in and handed it back. Seconds later, his phone dinged.

_Unknown number: :)_

“Emojis, really?” Peter rolled his eyes, creating a new contact under Harley’s name with the number.

“What, too cheesy?”

“Nah, it’s just…” Peter paused. “It’s kinda cute.”

“That’s exactly what I was gonna call you,” Harley said. “But I guess you beat me to it.”

Peter’s ringtone started to play then, forcing him to look away from Harley’s sky-blue eyes.

“Hey, Dad,” Peter said, answering. 

“Hey, Pete. Do you know what time you’re getting home tonight? Pep and I were talking about dinner at a nice Thai restaurant nearby. To celebrate you and Morgan starting school.”

“We’ve been in school for a whole month,” Peter said.

“It’s a belated celebration,” said Tony. “We think Morgan could use a boost in positivity. Did she tell you about Emma?”

“Yeah, sounds like she’s being bullied,” said Peter.

“Mm-hmm. We’re working with the teacher to nip this in the bud before the thorns grow.”

“I’m not sure that’s how that saying goes,” said Peter.

“Peter, I’ve seen how you text. You have no write to judge my use of the English language.”

Peter laughed. “Fine, you win. And I’m gonna be home by three. Ned bailed on our study session.”

“Is he alright?” Tony asked, concerned.

“Yeah, doctor’s appointment. Nothing serious, or he would’ve told me.”

“Alright,” said Tony. “Well, I’ll see you when you get home, then. Love you, kiddo.”

“Love you, too,” said Peter, before hanging up. He turned to Harley again, who had busied himself with reading Peter’s robotics book. “Sorry about that.”

“No, it’s fine,” Harley said. “Your dad must be a good guy. You smiled when you read his name.”

Peter prayed he wasn’t blushing. “We’re pretty close. But I’m actually adopted… my parents died in a car accident when I was young, and my aunt and uncle took me in. But my uncle was killed by a mugger and my aunt died of cancer, so my godfather adopted me.”

“Damn… that’s…” Harley laid his hand over Peter’s. “That’s rough. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Peter took a deep breath. “Thanks. It was hard, and I don’t know what I would’ve done if I didn’t have my godparents.”

Harley nodded, suddenly quiet.

“Well, um, it’s already two, and I told my dad I’d be home by three,” Peter said. “So I guess I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah,” Harley said, giving him a small smile. “I’ll text you, and we can set up a day for lunch.”

“Sounds good,” said Peter, gathering his things in his backpack and waving. “See you.”

Harley waved back. “Bye, darlin’.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harley Keener has arrived.


	16. Wanna Hold On, And Feel I Belong

“Wait, let me get this straight,” said Ned, as they walked to their next class. “You’re going on a date with a guy, like, of the male species?”

Peter sighed. “You do realize men and women are from the same species, right?”

“And you’re going on a date… with a guy.”

“Yes,” Peter said.

“Damn, Shuri was right,” said Ned.

“About?”

“She said you were gay.”

“How could she tell?” asked Peter. “Like, I didn’t even know! I’m still not sure I am. This guy just seems really nice and I thought I’d give it a shot.”

“I dunno, dude,” said Ned. “Maybe she’s got magic powers?”

Peter lowered his voice a little. “Dude, I’ve literally met a wizard. They don’t have the ability to guess someone’s sexuality. Carol doesn’t, either.”

“Woah, you’re on a first-name basis with Captain Marvel?” Ned whispered. “That’s awesome!”

“So… you’re not weirded out by me being gay?” Peter asked. “Or the possibility of it?”

“No way, dude,” Ned said. “Nothing wrong with it.”

Peter shifted his backpack. “He hasn’t texted me yet. Should I text him first?”

Ned shrugged. “I don’t know why you’re asking me. I’ve got about as much relationship experience as a Wookie.”

“I think you just insulted Chewbaca,” Peter said. “If he doesn’t text me by-”

He was interrupted by his phone dinging.

“And that was?” asked Ned, opening the door to the building.

“Harley,” Peter answered, opening the message thread as they walked down the hall.

_Harley: How does Fri @ 11 sound? I know a quiet coffee shop down the street_

_Parkinator: Sure. Meet in front of the fountain?_

_Harley: Only if there are no idiot skaters_

_Parkinator: lol_

Ned nudged him as they sat down at their usual table in the lecture hall. “Congrats, dude. You got a date!”

Peter shrugged, trying to hide his nervousness. He had a date. With a guy.

* * *

“Were you waiting long, darlin’?”

Peter looked up from his phone to find Harley above him. He’d heard him coming, but had trained himself to feign surprise when people snuck up to him. He didn’t want to arouse suspicion about his superhearing.

“Not long, no,” said Peter, marveling at how the sun highlighted the gold in the other boy’s hair. His outfit was very similar to what he’d worn the other day, which Peter didn’t mind. He looked good in plaid. “Just… thirty minutes or so.”

Harley looked at his phone. “It’s 10:58, which means I’m early.”

“Yeah, but I was earlier,” Peter quipped, standing up. It was the first time he’d actually stood next to him. Harley was an inch or two taller. “So, where are we going?”

“It’s called Early Birdie’s Coffee,” said Harley, leading him to the parking garage. “Ever heard of it?”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve seen it. It’s like, six or seven blocks from the school, right?” said Peter, keeping step with him.

Harley quirked an eyebrow at him. “I don’t know if you noticed, darlin’, but I’m from the south. We don’t really count blocks, unless you’re a cop or somethin’.”

Peter chuckled. “So, how do you give directions?”

“Head north, turn right at the red-roofed inn, take a left at the house with the garden gnomes, and make sure you don’t hit one ‘cause the bastard’ll shoot a hole in your tires. If you see the billboard ad for accident lawyers, you’ve gone too far.”

Peter laughed. “Why do I feel like those are actual directions to somewhere?”

“That’s how you get from my town’s church to the elementary school,” Harley told him. “No lie, Old man Herbert really will shoot you. He put cameras in two years ago.”

“That’s a little obsessive over garden gnomes,” said Peter. “Does he yell at kids to get off his lawn?”

“Doesn’t have to,” said Harley. “We ain’t stupid.”

“Wow, that’s anice motorcycle,” said Peter, as they walked down the rows of vehicles.

“Thanks,” Harley replied.

“It’s yours?”

“Sure is. Thought we could get coffee in style,” said Harley, picking up the helmet on the seat, mounting the bike, and starting the engine. He passed Peter a second helmet from the cargo box.

Peter threw a leg over and sat behind him. “How do I hold on?”

“Put your arms around me,” said Harley. “Don’t worry, I’m not ticklish.”

Peter gulped silently, put on the helmet, and carefully wrapped his arms around Harley’s midriff. Harley put on his helmet, too, a moment later, they were taking off, out of the parking garage and down the street.

It didn’t take long to reach the coffee shop. Harley parked and paid the meter.

“We don’t have parking meters in my town,” said Harley. 

“Where is your hometown?” asked Peter.

“Rose Hill, Tennessee. Nothin’ much to see there.”

“But your family is there?”

They sat down at a table in the corner of the uncrowded room. 

“My mom and sister, yeah,” said Harley.

A server walked up to them almost immediately and took their orders, and then they were alone again.

“What… what happened to your dad?” Peter asked tentatively. “I mean, if you don’t mind my asking.”

“I don’t mind, darlin’,” Harley said, making Peter blush at the term of endearment. “My old man walked out on us when I was a kid. My sister, Olivia, was only a couple months old. I was two.”

“That’s… horrible,” said Peter.

Harley shrugged. “I never really knew him, so I never really cared. My mom tried her best to hide how sad she was, but I always knew.”

“So, um, did you lose anyone in the decimation?” Peter asked.

The server returned, setting a coffee and a sandwich in front of each of them. “Muffins are on their way, boys.”

“Thank you,” said Harley. When she was gone, he said, “My mom and sister were both dusted.”

“Shit,” Peter said. “Wh-where did you…?”

“My mom’s brother, Uncle Brandon, took me in,” Harley said. “He’s a good guy, but not really the parenting kind, you know? There were no real rules. Not even a curfew. I had to grow up real fast.”

Peter didn’t say anything, remembering how hard it was when he’d lost his parents. May and Ben had had rules, but they were different from his parents. It had taken some time to become accustomed to the changes.

“When they came back, neither of them really believed what had happened. And I had changed so much… we were like strangers,” Harley continued, rubbing his eyes. “I took a year off from Columbia to be with them, convinced them both to go to therapy.”

“It helps,” said Peter.

Harley watched him for a moment before going on. “Things are almost back to normal. But my mom wasn’t happy when I left for school again.”

“Because you were so far away?” asked Peter.

“No, we had a fight before I left,” Harley said. “She found out I was gay. And… she wasn’t happy about it.”

“Oh,” Peter said, his heart skipping a beat. He had yet to tell Tony or Pepper or anyone other than Ned about his date. He wondered how they would react. Surely they’d be okay with it? “I’m sorry.”

Harley sipped his coffee, eyes still watching Peter. “Damn, I’ve never told anyone that much before.”

“Same,” said Peter. “The other day, when I told you about my parents… I’ve only ever told my family and Ned. He’s, uh, he’s my best friend. And I didn’t really tell Ned. He just knew because he was there. He helped me get through it every time.”

They were both quiet for a moment, sipping their coffee and taking small bites of their sandwiches.

“Sorry about the wait,” said the server, setting three blueberry muffins on the table. “I got you an extra on the house. Is there anything else I can get you?” 

“Thank you, we appreciate it,” said Harley. “I think we’re good.”

“Alright, enjoy!” And she walked away once more, greeting a small family that had just entered.

“So what about you?” Harley asked suddenly. “Anyone you know get dusted?”

“I did,” Peter said. “My aunt didn’t… She spent those five years fighting cancer. She died a few months after I came back.”

Harley reached across the table for Peter’s hand, holding it in both of his. “Fuck Thanos. He probably can’t even count how many families he destroyed.”

Peter nodded, blinking back tears. “He’s dead now, right?”

Truthfully, Peter knew Thanos was gone for good. But he wasn’t ready to divulge just how much he knew about the Battle of the Gauntlet.

“Yeah, the Avengers took care of him. We owe them everything. Hell, the whole universe does.”

Peter smiled. “Yeah, they’re… really awesome.”

“You know, if it weren’t for them, we never would have met,” Harley said.

Peter met his eyes. Harley was smiling, still holding his hand. Peter’s heart fluttered in his chest.

“The bravest thing I’ve ever done,” Harley said. “Was sitting down with you the other day. And I know we’ve only just met, but I feel like I’ve known you my whole life.” After another pause, he said, “Sorry, that was real cheesy, wasn’t it?”

“Not at all,” Peter assured him. “I kinda feel the same way.”

“Kinda,” Harley repeated with a grin. 

The conversation became lighter after that. They discussed their daily lives - Peter talked about Morgan and Shadow and Queens, while Harley described his life in the south, the mountains, and his favorite hideaways as a kid.

They were both startled by Harley’s phone ringing. Harley checked the caller I.D. “Sorry, I gotta take this.”

Peter nodded and waited patiently for Harley to take the call, putting in earphones so he didn’t accidentally eavesdrop. He could still hear Harley, though.

“Yeah?” Harley said by way of greeting. “I am, actually… no, seriously, I’m on a date… yes, he is… did I stutter? If I said ‘he’ then I meant it… yeah I’ll call you back… Bye.”

Peter popped out his earphones and tucked them back into his backpack.

“You didn’t have to put those in,” said Harley. 

“I don’t like eavesdropping,” Peter said, which was the truth.

Harley shrugged. “It was just my boss. He’s out of town for a few days.”

“You have a job?” asked Peter.

“An internship,” Harley answered. “I work in a research lab.”

“Wow, me, too!” Peter cried. “I mean, I have an internship, also. It’s at-”

But then Peter’s phone rang, and he quickly answered it. 

It was Pepper, asking Peter to pick Morgan up early from school as Tony and Happy were out of town and Pepper couldn’t get away from work. Apparently she had thrown up in Phys. Ed.

“I gotta go,” Peter said to Harley after hanging up. “My little sister is sick and my mom asked me to pick her up.”

“Need a ride?” Harley offered. 

“I was just gonna take a taxi-”

“I know she can’t ride on my motorcycle, but I can drop you off,” Harley said. “You can call a taxi to meet you there.”

Peter thought for a moment, and then nodded. “Alright, if you’re really okay with it.”

“Cool,” said Harley. “Text me the address. I'll google the directions while you call a taxi.”

Twenty minutes later, Peter was climbing off Harley’s bike and returning the spare helmet.

“Thanks for the lift,” he said. “See you later.”

“Peter, wait!” Harley cried, grabbing his hand.

He turned back around. It was the first time Harley had actually said his name. 

Before he could say, ‘yes?’, Harley had pressed his lips to Peter’s. It was only a short kiss, longer than a peck, but barely lasting a second.

The taller boy pulled away, just an inch, and said in a low, husky voice, “Text me when you’re home?”

“Of course,” Peter said, breathless.

And then Harley released him, climbed back onto his bike, and waved before driving off.

Peter stood there for a moment, shocked, until his sick sister returned to the forefront of his thoughts and he rushed into the school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were smiling while reading this (which I'm going to assume based on the comments for the last chapter), then fear not, for I was smiling while writing it. We'll all just be idiots together.


	17. And How Can The World Want Me To Change

_Keengreendragon: Movie tomorrow night?_

_Parkinator: on halloween?_

_Keengreendragon: Sorry, you got plans?_

_Parkinator: candy n scooby doo marathon_

_Parkinator: by myself_

_Parkinator: my parents are taking my sister trick-or-treating_

_Keengreendragon: You aren’t doing anything?_

_Parkinator: costume party tonite_

_Keengreendragon: So… movie tomorrow night?_

_Parkinator: lol yeah. I’d love to._

_Keengreendragon: Sweet. I’ll get us the tickets._

_Parkinator: what movie are we gonna see?_

_Keengreendragon: It’s a surprise._

_Parkinator: fyi i’m not big on scary movies_

_Keengreendragon: Don’t worry, darlin’. I’ll protect you from the monsters. ;)_

_Parkinator: thanks that makes me feel much better_

_Keengreendragon: I detect sarcasm._

_Parkinator: very keen of you_

_Keengreendragon: I try._

_Parkinator: gtg time for the party_

_Keengreendragon: Have fun!_

“Hey, Peter,” Tony greeted him, without looking up from tying his ascot. “Are you sure you don’t want to go with us tomorrow night?”

“Actually, I, uh,” Peter scratched under the wig of his costume. “I have a date.”

Tony looked up. “A date? That’s - that’s great, Pete. Who’s the lucky girl?”

Peter pursed his lips. “It’s… it’s not a girl…”

“Oh,” said Tony, the surprise evident on his face. “Okay, then, who’s the lucky guy?”

“I just met him,” Peter said. “At school. He’s a junior.”

“Does he know you’re seventeen?” Tony asked, sounding concerned suddenly.

“Yeah, why?” asked Peter, confused.

“Because it makes you a minor,” said Pepper. “And until you’re an adult, you shouldn’t be doing anything…”

“R-rated,” said Tony. 

Peter’s eyes widened. “I wasn’t- I wouldn’t-”

“We know you wouldn’t,” said Pepper. “We trust you, Peter, but we don’t know this other boy. Just be careful, okay?”

“I will,” said Peter.

“So where is he taking you?” asked Tony.

“Movies,” Peter said. “Wait, why are you assuming he’s taking me out? Maybe I’m taking him.”

“No offense, kiddo,” said Tony with a chuckle. “But you don’t exactly have a ride to take someone somewhere.”

Peter gave him a mock glare.

“Does he have a vehicle?” asked Pepper.

“Yeah, a motorcycle,” Peter answered. “He actually gave me a ride to Morgan’s school the other day when she was sick.”

“That’s sweet,” Pepper said. “So when do we get to-”

“I’m ready!” cried Morgan, bounding into the room.

“You look adorable, Baby!” Pepper cried.

Morgan grinned. “Peter, can you do the face paint?”

“Sure,” Peter said, grabbing the paint kit Pepper had bought. “But I thought you wanted Mom to do it?”

Morgan glanced at her mother, and then back to Peter.

“I get it, he’s a better artist than me,” Pepper said, rolling her eyes.

Morgan giggled, until Peter told her to hold still.

* * *

“Hey, nice costumes,” said Steve, as the Starks arrived in the Avengers common room. He was dressed in a baseball uniform. “But doesn’t Scooby Doo have five members in the gang?”

“Wow, a cartoon that you’ve actually seen?” Tony teased. “And yeah, Velma is on her way.”

Being a ginger, Pepper had easily taken on the role of Daphne Blake in the gang, while Tony was dressed as Fred Jones. Peter had put together Shaggy’s very simple outfit, complete with chin hair drawn in marker. Morgan, of course, was Scooby Doo.

Peter looked around at the rest of the residents of the Avengers Compound. A pirate with a hook for a hand and a captain’s hat was sitting at the bar with a beer. It took Peter a moment to figure out that it was Bucky. 

Sam Wilson, dressed as Peter Pan, was across the room, spinning a blind-folded Princess Merida around in a circle. 

“Is that Wanda?” asked Pepper.

“Yeah, she’s been trying to pin the femur on the skeleton for the past thirty minutes,” Steve said. “Bruce bet her sixty bucks she couldn’t do it without using her powers.”

Wanda took her blind-fold off and cursed. The femur was pinned at a rather entertaining place.

“Now that’s what I call a boner,” said Sam, as Bucky choked on his beer.

“What’s that mean?” asked Morgan.

Wanda glared at Sam. “That I’m going to drop a truck on him.”

Tony turned back to Steve, satisfied with Wanda’s handling of preserving his daughter’s innocence. “Is Clint coming?”

Steve nodded. “He said yes in the R.S.V.P. Have you talked to him lately?”

“Happy and I visited a couple weeks ago,” said Tony. “Laura said he’s learning to cope, but it’s been rough on the children.”

Peter went to the bar and sat next to Bucky, wanting to give Tony and Steve the space to talk. Pepper had walked away to root for Wanda, and then Morgan, who asked for a turn.

Lila had told everyone in the group text (Peter, Shuri, Cassie, and Ned) what had happened to her father. On a mission back in July, Clint had been the victim of a audibomb, a new technology that could temporarily deafen anyone within fifty feet. 

Clint had been so close that it had completely shattered his eardrums. 

Hearing aids didn’t help, nor did any Wakandan treatment. It was likely that Hawkeye would never hear a single sound ever again.

“Hey, it’s the mini-superhuman,” said Bucky. “You okay?”

“Other than being called mini,” said Peter, “I’m fine.”

“Well, you are the smallest supersoldier in the room,” said Bruce, who was already pouring Peter a drink, wearing no costume, though his T-shirt pictured a shark crying, ‘I never knew my father!’

“Speaking of supersoldiers…” said Peter, eyeing Bruce, who was normal-sized and no longer green. “What happened to you?”

“Ah…” Bruce set a glass of cola in front of Peter, the scars on his arm from using the gauntlet visible. “You heard about the mission back in July?”

“The one where Mr. Barton was hurt?” 

“Yeah, I was there, too,” said Bruce. “The big guy… I don’t know what happened, but the audibomb scared him or something. Wanda’s been helping me meditate to try and get him back out, and it seems to be working, but just temporarily.”

“Wow, that’s-” Peter didn’t get to finish his sentence, as Thor arrived at that moment, his great booming voice echoing throughout the room as he greeted everyone.

“On the bright side,” said Bucky. “The king of the gods is back in shape.”

Thor, who was dressed in his actual battle armor, looked around the room. “I believe I may have misinterpreted your invitation to the costume party.”

“That’s alright,” said Steve. “It’s still a good costume.”

“And you are a player of baseball?” Thor asked.

“Oh, yeah, I’ve been wondering,” Tony said. “Are you just a generic baseball player or are you a specific player?”

“This is Steve we’re talking about,” said Sam. “He’s some guy from the 1930’s.”

“It’s not ‘some guy’! He’s a very famous player!” Steve defended.

“Babe Ruth?” asked Peter.

“No, I couldn’t find the costume for him,” said Steve. 

“Jimmie Foxx?” asked Pepper.

Steve looked taken aback. “How did you know?”

“Her grandfather was a baseball fan,” said Tony. “Pep, Bruce is trying to kill you. There’s strawberries in the fruit salad.”

“I made one without the strawberries for her,” Bruce said. “It’s in the fridge. You want a drink?”

“Sure, if you don’t mind,” said Tony. He turned to Peter. “What are you drinking?”

“Coke,” said Peter innocently. 

“And what will you be drinking tomorrow night?” asked Tony.

“A slushie,” Peter said. 

Sam, Thor, and Steve joined them at the bar. 

“What are you doing tomorrow?” asked Bruce, and Peter looked away.

“Obviously, he’s got a date,” said Bucky, somehow picking up his beer with his hook hand and taking a swig.

“Are you supposed to be Captain Hook?” asked Peter. 

“Changing the subject?” asked Bucky. “Definitely a date, then. Yes, I am Captain Hook.”

Peter looked past him at Sam. “And you’re Peter Pan?” 

Sam grinned evilly.

“For some reason, he wanted to match me,” said Bucky.

“Hey, Buck, do you know how Hook loses his hand in the story?” asked Tony.

Bucky shook his head. 

“Pan cuts off his hand and feeds it to the crocodile,” said Peter.

Bucky slowly turned to Sam. “Son of a-”

“Hey, Carol!” cried Pepper, greeting the new arrival. “I mean, Velma.”

“Ah, I should’ve seen that one coming,” said Steve, walking up to greet Carol as Captain Hook and Peter Pan’s duel was reenacted behind him.

“It’s one of the few cartoons I actually enjoy,” said Carol. “And I brought these.”

She held up a green box labeled ‘Scooby Snax’.

“YES!” cried Morgan, bouncing on her feet as Carol opened the box and gave her one of the graham cracker cookies. “Thank you!”

Happy and Rhodey arrived next, accidentally scaring Morgan, as Happy was dressed as the Miner Forty-Niner, and Rhodey was the ghost of Captain Cutler.

“The coordination is impressive,” said Bucky, who was now dragging an annoyed Sam by his collar with his hook hand.

“Should we be concerned about that?” asked Happy, while Sam and Bucky exchanged insults.

“Best not to get involved,” said Bruce.

“Don’t worry, they really are friends now,” Steve assured them.

The rest of the party arrived all at once, in the form of Scott, Cassie, T’Challa, Okoye, Shuri, and the Bartons.

Scott was dressed in a Mario costume, while T’Challa and Okoye had chosen not to wear any costumes.

Clint’s sons had both dressed up as Avengers. Nathaniel, the younger, wore a Black Panther costume, much to T’Challa’s amusement. Cooper’s costume, however, brought tears to some eyes. 

“Vision would be proud,” Wanda signed as Cooper pretended to fly like Vision to where Morgan was picking out a candy from a bowl on the table. “And honored.”

Clint stared at her in shock, and signed back. “You learned ASL?”

“We all did,” signed Tony. “Even the kids.”

Clint looked at Peter, who had hopped off his barstool to greet his friends. 

Peter waved, signing, “I like your costume.”

“Thank you,” said Clint, tears in his eyes. “You guys… are the best.”

And then he had to sit down, overcome with emotion.

Bucky, who wasn’t great with that sort of thing, dragged Sam over to Peter and the girls.

“Wow, Peter Pan’s finally been defeated,” said Cassie. 

“It’s not funny,” said Sam. “What kind of costume is that?”

All three girls were in rather casual clothing.

“The best kind,” said Shuri. “We’re a meme.”

“Really.”

“A meme?” asked Bucky. “That’s… an internet joke, right?”

“Yep,” said Shuri. “Look.”

She took Lila’s hand, and the two of them turned their backs to them, while Cassie continued to face them. All three of them posed as though they were walking. Each had a white label on them, the words written in a bold black typeface.

Shuri’s back was labelled ‘Me’, while she ogled Cassie.

Lila’s back said, ‘My Responsibilities’, and she gave Shuri a disgusted look.

And Cassie’s front said, ‘Internet Memes’, a smile on her face.

Peter burst out laughing. “Best group costume ever!”

“Thanks, Shaggy,” said Cassie. “It took forever to decide what the labels should be. We went with the most relatable.”

“I hate that I get it,” Bucky said, shaking his head and dragging Sam away.

“Can you let me go now?” asked Sam.

“No.”

“Why is he dragging him?” asked Cassie.

“I’ll explain later,” said Peter.

“Son of Tony!” cried Thor. “I heard you have a date tomorrow night! Best of luck to you!”

Peter stiffened, not from Thor clapping him on the back, but from the staredown he was now receiving from his three female friends.

“A date?” 

“Tomorrow?”

“And you didn’t tell us?”

“Get back here!” 

The adults looked up to see Peter scrambling across the ceiling, followed by Shuri, Cassie, and Lila on foot.

“What is that about?” signed Clint.

“Peter has a date tomorrow,” Tony replied. “And he didn’t tell his friends apparently.”

“I would run, too,” signed Clint.

It was Bruce that finally got him down, smacking him with a broom. 

“Ow,” said Peter.

“That did not hurt,” Bruce said.

“It did emotionally,” said Peter, dramatically.

“Bucky!” cried Shuri. “I need to borrow your hook!”

Bucky sipped his beer and glanced at Peter, then at Sam, and then back to Shuri. “Would love to help, Shur, but… It’s stuck.”

The girls looked horrified, and to Peter’s relief, spent the next ten minutes trying to get the hook out of Sam’s collar. By the time they were done, both men decided to change into regular clothes, calling a truce.

“You’d better be ready to tell us every goddamn detail about this date of yours,” said Shuri. 

“What were you going to do with that hook?” Peter asked, tentatively. 

Shuri grinned evilly. “Ever heard of Dead by Daylight?”

“One of my favorite games!” cried Thor.

Peter paled, and took Thor’s distraction as an opportunity to slip back to Tony’s side. 

Tony was talking with Clint, Carol, Steve, and T’Challa. Okoye stood behind her king, glancing every now and then at the children or the girls.

“How did all of you learn ASL in three months?” Clint was asking.

“Well,” said Tony, signing and speaking aloud. “Some of us are geniuses.”

“We practiced together, and Friday was a big help,” Steve told him. “Lila told her friends so that they could help her practice.”

“So all of those hours she’s spent in her room…” Clint signed.

“She’s been videochatting with us,” said Peter, signing slower than the others. 

Clint smiled in the direction of his daughter, who was chatting with Cassie and Wanda, while Shuri discussed videogames with Thor.

Meanwhile, the children were still attempting to pin the femur to the skeleton, and Pepper, Laura, and Bruce were in the kitchen talking and snacking. 

Sam and Bucky returned, sitting down with Steve, Clint, and the others.

“It was a learning curve for me,” signed Carol. “I haven’t had as much time as the others.”

“I just want to thank all of you,” signed Clint. “For doing this for me. I’m not sure I deserve it, but I’m grateful.”

They all glanced at each other.

“No one is angry with you, Clint,” signed Tony. “But if you want, we can all talk about it later, at the next Avengers meeting.”

Clint nodded. “Lila is excited. I can’t believe their first training is alright here… just a week away.”

Tony gave Peter a sideways glance. “Yeah, I know how you feel. But they’ll make a good team. Together, they’ve got a wide range of skills.”

“And two of them already know how to pilot a jet,” said T’Challa. 

Eventually, Peter returned to Shuri, Cassie, and Lila, where they chatted about everything from school to the latest movies to internet forums. Before either of them had a chance to ask Peter about his date again, Pepper had called him to go home. 

He hugged his friends goodbye, waving to the older Avengers, and he and his family left. Morgan, for once, had not fallen asleep, nearly buzzing with energy, which Pepper attributed to the amount of candy she’d consumed.

Peter, however, slept solidly after shedding his costume and crawling into his bed.


	18. They're The Ones That Stay The Same

“I’m really not big on scary movies,” Peter said.

Harley chuckled, passing a large soda to him. “I know, Darlin’. You’ve said that six times.”

Peter pursed his lips, which Harley apparently noticed.

“This one isn’t really that scary,” Harley assured him. “And if you feel like you can’t stand it, we can leave the theater.”

“Okay,” Peter said, following him in.

“Or you could snuggle up to me,” Harley added. “I’ll protect you.”

Peter snorted, sitting down next to the blonde. He quickly texted Tony that he was sitting in the theater, and silenced his phone just as the previews came on.

“So, do you live alone?” Peter asked quietly. “Or do you have roommates?”

“No roommates,” Harley said. “I’ve got a sweet little studio apartment near the university.”

“You don’t live on campus?” asked Peter.

Harley shook his head. “I got a scholarship that didn’t require me to. Popcorn?”

Peter took some of the offered snack, watching the previews for various movies that were coming soon.

“I’d like to see that one,” said Harley. “Have you seen the first one? Crazy Rich Asians?”

“Isn’t that a chick flick?” asked Peter. “My friend Cassie loves it.”

“Romantic comedy,” Harley corrected. “It’s a great story, and based on a trilogy. I’ve been impatiently waiting for the third one.”

Peter nodded. “I’ll have to watch the first two, then.”

“We can do that at my place sometime. I’ve got a nice sound system,” Harley said.

At that moment, the screen transitioned into the actual film, and Peter braced himself.

Halfway through, Peter found himself burying his face in Harley’s shoulder. Harley threw an arm around him, rubbing his back gently. 

“You good?” Harley whispered into his ear.

Peter nodded, peaking back at the screen, and immediately regretted this choice. He flinched at the sight of the blood and gore and hid his face once more.

After another minute, Harley nudged him to stand up, and quietly led him out of the theater.

“I’m sorry,” Peter said in the hall.

“It’s fine, Darlin’,” Harley said. “I’ve seen better scary movies.”

Harley truly didn’t seem upset, but Peter still felt bad, and quickly thought of a way to make it up to him as they left the theater.

“Do you, uh, want to go to my place?” Peter asked. “We can have a Scooby Doo marathon or something.”

Harley raised his eyebrows. “I don’t want to impose on your family…”

“My parents took Morgan trick-or-treating,” Peter said. “Let me ask my dad if you can come over. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

Harley shrugged. “Alright, sounds good.”

Peter quickly texted Tony.

_Parkinator: So the movie was too scary. Do you mind if I bring him home to watch Scooby Doo?_

_Dad: That’s fine. Your mom said to keep your door open._

_Parkinator: -_- got it._

_Dad: Not trying to be overprotective or anything, but I agree with her. Want me to send a car?_

_Parkinator: Yes, please. One of the normal ones, though. No limos or rolls royces._

_Dad: I don’t own a limo. Just saying._

_Parkinator: lol love you_

_Dad: Marcus is on his way to pick you up. Love you too. Be safe._

“He said yes,” said Peter.

“I figured,” said Harley. “You had an adorable smile on your face.”

Peter blushed. “I got us a ride, too.”

“Uber?” asked Harley.

“Sort of,” said Peter. 

Harley nodded, accepting this answer, and put his arm around him again. Peter leaned into him, grateful for the warmth.

Minutes later, a car pulled up to the curb. 

“Is that a Porsche?” asked Harley. “Wonder who it’s for.”

The window rolled down at that moment. 

“Hey, Peter,” said Marcus. “You ready to go?”

“Yep,” said Peter, leading a surprised Harley to the car. 

Marcus ferried him around often, and knew very well that Peter didn’t like others to open the door for him, so he remained in the driver’s seat, and waited until both boys were seated and buckled before pulling away.

“What the hell?” Harley muttered, marveling at the interior of the car.

“My dad is a businessman,” said Peter.

“Is he…?” Harley pointed with his chin at Marcus.

“Oh, this is Marcus,” Peter said. “He’s one of our drivers. Uh, this is Harley.”

“One of?” Harley repeated.

“Nice to meet you, Harley,” said Marcus, glancing at them in the rearview mirror.

“You, too,” Harley replied. 

They were quiet for the remainder of the ride, until Marcus pulled into the private parking garage attached to Stark Tower.

“Home sweet home,” said Marcus, stopping just in front of the elevator.

Peter thanked him and climbed out of the vehicle.

Harley followed Peter, hands in his pockets as Peter entered a code to access the elevator.

Peter was expecting a silent and agonizingly long elevator ride, but thankfully Harley spoke.

“I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised,” Harley said. “I mean, the school your sister goes to is a private school.”

“I’m, uh, not trying to show off or anything,” said Peter. “It’s… this is just my life, you know?”

“No, I get it,” said Harley. “It’s cool. I mean, I knew you were well-to-do and all. You wear name brand clothes and shit. But I didn’t expect it to be this level of wealthy.”

The elevator stopped and dinged before the doors slid open.

Harley continued to marvel as they walked through the dark living room. 

“How high up are we?”

“Top floor,” said Peter. “It’s a penthouse.”

“Damn,” Harley muttered, following Peter into the hallway. 

“And this is my room,” said Peter, switching on the light.

Harley looked around and smiled. “I like it.”

Peter sat down on his bed, scooting towards the middle. “So, we could watch something, or play a game…”

Harley joined him. “You mentioned Scooby Doo earlier.”

“It’s one of my favorite cartoons,” said Peter.

“Mine, too. Let’s do it,” Harley said.

The two of them settled down against the pillows together as Peter set one of his favorite episodes to play.

When it was over, Harley reached for the remote.

“Did you want to watch something else?” asked Peter.

“Actually, I was thinking of something different,” Harley said. He paused the next episode and set the remote down on the side table, reaching over Peter to do so. 

Peter’s breath caught in his throat as Harley looked down at him. 

“Can I kiss you again?” Harley asked, his voice husky again.

“Yeah…” Peter breathed. “Please.”

Harley closed the distance between them, pressing their lips together. It didn’t take long for Peter to part his lips, allowing Harley’s tongue entry. Peter moaned as Harley took absolute control of the kiss, one hand on his cheek and the other in his hair.

In Peter’s mind, it was just the two of them, kissing and touching and moaning. Harley was almost overwhelming - his scent, his touch, his lips. Peter felt himself becoming undone, and he wanted more.

Perhaps this was the reason he didn’t hear the elevator ding, or the small feet bounding down the hall. And if Tony had called out to announce their arrival, Peter didn’t notice. Peter heard nothing until, his door opened.

“Hey, Pete, did you-”

Peter jerked back, startled, hitting his head on the headboard in the process. “Dad!”

Tony’s brow furrowed. “Harley?”

Harley stared back. “Tony?”


	19. And You See The Things They Never See

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! I'm adding a chapter note to inform you all that I'm taking a short hiatus. With the school year beginning, I don't expect to have the time or focus to work on any of my fics for the next month. I should get back to it by mid-September or so, and if you've been reading my stories for awhile then you know I always keep to those promises. See you all soon!

“What the hell?” Tony said.

“Tony Stark is your dad?” Harley asked, incredulous.

“Ow,” Peter answered, hand reaching to the back of his head, where he’d struck the headboard a moment ago.

Tony was at his side a second later. Peter’s eyes were closed in pain, but he could hear and sense his adoptive father, could feel Harley moving off of him at Tony’s instruction. Then he was being ushered off the bed and into the living room. 

Peter opened his eyes as he sat down on the couch in the living room. 

“Happy, can you make an ice pack?” Tony asked.

“Got it, Boss,” Happy replied.

“Peter? You alright?” asked Tony.

“Yes,” Peter said, wincing as Tony’s hand barely touched the back of his head. “I, um, was startled when you opened the door.”

“I guess I should’ve knocked,” Tony admitted. “But you were told to keep the door open.”

“I’m sorry,” said Peter.

“So am I,” said Tony honestly. “Thanks, Happy.”

Tony passed the ice pack into his hand, and Peter held it to what was probably a good bump on his head. 

“How do you know Harley?” Peter blurted out.

“Well, he kinda showed up in my barn one day,” said Harley, who was sitting on the couch across from them. “Back in… 2012? Something like that.”

“He threatened me with a potato gun,” said Tony, in a matter-of-fact tone. 

“You were breaking and entering.”

“And you thought a potato gun was a proper weapon.”

“Still is.”

Peter listened as Tony and Harley told him the story of how they’d met, in surprising detail. 

“People were just… blowing up?” asked Peter, when they were finished.

“Yeah,” Tony said. 

By this point, Pepper and Happy had joined them, commenting that Morgan was asleep, and Peter’s head felt much better.

“Anyways, I’ve kept in contact with Harley ever since,” Tony said. 

“He’s the one who gave me a scholarship,” said Harley. “And that internship I told you about? It’s with Stark Industries.”

“Mine, too,” said Peter.

“You were going to meet this weekend,” said Tony. “At the Avengers compound.”

“For the Young Avengers training?” asked Harley. “You’re going to be there, Peter?”

Peter nodded. “Yeah, I’m, uh, I’m Spider-Man.”

There was silence for a moment. Peter hadn’t thought it possible, but Harley looked even more shocked at this than anything else he’d learned about Peter that night.

“You’re Spider-Man?” Harley repeated.

“Which is how I met Peter,” said Tony. 

“And then Germany happened…” Peter muttered. 

“I’ve heard a bit about that,” Harley said before turning to Tony. “Damn, Tony, I know you said you had an adopted son but I didn’t think he was a superhero, too.”

“You told him about me?” asked Peter, feeling a little betrayed, and, for some reason, jealous. 

“He didn’t know much more than you,” Tony assured him. “Only that you existed.”

Peter nodded, feeling his head throb again. Tony noticed him wince, and picked up the ice pack from the table, pressing it into his hand. Peter held it to the bump on his head once more. 

“So,” said Tony. “Let’s talk about the two of you for a moment.”

Peter pursed his lips, and Harley suddenly looked terrified. 

“Harley, do you know how old Peter is?” Pepper asked, speaking for the first time.

“Seventeen,” Harley said. “I swear, I wasn’t going to do anything. We were just kissing.”

By this point, Peter’s face was very red. 

“I know. But next time, the door is going to be open,” Pepper said sternly. “Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Harley said.

Peter shrank under her gaze. “I understand.”

“It’s not that we don’t trust you Harley,” said Tony. “It’s in your best interest. You’re almost three years older than him.”

Harley nodded. “I get it.”

“Technically, I’m older,” Peter pointed out. “I was born before Harley.”

Tony gave him a look that shut him

“So, um, I should probably head home,” said Harley. “I have an early study session tomorrow.”

“I’ll give you a ride,” offered Happy. “I’m assuming you left your bike at your apartment.”

“Thanks,” said Harley. He glanced at Peter, who gave his parents meaningful looks.

Tony rolled his eyes, but he and Pepper left them alone while Happy went downstairs to get a car ready.

Harley moved to sit next to Peter. “Well, this was an eventful night.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” said Peter. “I just…”

“You don’t have to apologize,” said Harley. “I mean, I never mentioned that I knew Tony Stark, either. But damn, I’m still trying to get over the fact that you’re Spider-Man. Like, motherfucking Spider-Man.”

Peter chuckled, and winced again. “Laughing hurts.”

“You hit your head really hard, huh?” asked Harley, gently running a hand over his hair.

“I’ll be alright,” said Peter. “I’ve got superhealing. That’s the only reason Dad hasn’t rushed me to the hospital. He’s really overprotective.”

“I mean, you did die on him once,” said Harley. 

“Yeah…” said Peter.

“Well, I’ll text you when I get home,” said Harley. “See you later?”

“Yeah,” said Peter. “We’ll definitely see each other this weekend.”

Harley grinned, and then leaned in for another kiss. This one was simpler than the last, but longer than the first time. 

“Keep ice on that,” Harley said, pulling away, and then he was gone.

Tony returned after the elevator dinged, sitting down next to him. “Bruce said you need to stay awake for another hour, just to make sure you don’t have a concussion.”

“I thought that was only a ten-minute thing,” Peter said.

“You broke the headboard, Peter,” said Tony. “Forgive me for not taking chances.”

Peter sighed, and after a moment he worked up the guts to ask. “So, uh, did he ever actually shoot you with the potato gun?”


	20. All You Wanted I Could Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing fanfiction after 10 pm should be considered an extreme sport. 
> 
> I meant to post this on Friday the 13th, but as we know, shit happens. Friday the 13th is actually a lucky day for my family. My grandfather, a POW in WWII, escaped on Friday the 13th. It was his third attempt. So 13 and 3 are special numbers for us, though I wouldn't say 3 is a lucky number, just a recurring one.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I know it's short, but I did put everything I wanted into the scene. It's been heavily edited, and hopefully flows well. I'm in no mental shape to proofread right now, so we'll find out in the morning how shitty my writing is.

“You nervous?” asked Tony, from the driver’s seat.

“What’s there to be nervous about?” asked Peter. 

“Answering a question with a question,” Tony noted. “You’re _very_ nervous.”

Peter gave him a playful glare. “Okay, I am. I mean, I’m excited to do this, especially with my friends, but Harley is going to be there, too. What if I make a fool of myself in front of Harley and all of the Avengers?”

Tony chuckled. “I don’t think you need to worry about making a fool of yourself in front of Harley. You have more experience in this field than he does. And the Avengers have a lot of respect for you.”

“They do?” asked Peter.

“Yeah, and even if you do fall on your ass,” Tony said. “The rest of the team has had their hits and misses. No one’s had more misses than me, in fact.”

They had reached the entrance to the Avengers Compound, and Tony leaned out the window to enter the access code.

“You’ll get your own code later,” said Tony. “So that you can come here anytime you want.”

Peter wasn’t sure how he was supposed to get to the compound on his own, since he didn’t have a license or car, but he supposed that that was a question for later.

“How is Harley getting here?” asked Peter.

“He said he’d take his bike,” said Tony. “He’ll have to ring the doorbell to get in, but all of the Avengers are here today, so someone will let him in.”

“All of them?” asked Peter.

“That’s right, even Thor and Danvers.”

Peter smiled. Carol visited Stark Tower quite often, like Steve. She and Tony had become the unlikeliest of friends, and their banter was similar to that of siblings. Despite this brother-sister relationship, however, they still referred to each other as “Stark” and “Danvers”. 

But it wasn’t just Tony she had bonded with. Although she wasn’t close with Pepper, she’d become something of an aunt to Peter and Morgan, even dropping by for movie nights every now and then. Morgan idolized Carol, following her around whenever she visited and badgering her with questions. But Carol didn’t seem to mind. She always spent some time in the tower’s gym with Peter, too, teaching him moves and techniques to improve his superhero abilities. 

“Spidey!” cried Shuri when Peter and Tony arrived in a common room in the west wing. “I was wondering when you were going to show up.”

Peter checked the time on his phone. “I’m twenty minutes early.”

“Not according to the next time zone,” Shuri countered, earning an eye roll from Peter.

“Who are we waiting on?” asked Lila. She and Cassie were sitting near their fathers on one of the couches.

Wanda was by the wall tossing a small ball back and forth with Thor. 

Scattered around the room were most of the remaining Avengers: Bucky, Sam, Bruce, Rhodey, T’Challa, and Carol.

The only ones missing, in fact, were Steve and Harley.

“The new kid’s not here yet,” said Bucky.

“New kid?” asked Cassie. “There’s six of us?”

“He should be here soon,” Bucky assured them.

“Oh, it’s a guy,” said Shuri with a smirk.

“Don’t even think about it,” T’Challa warned.

A phone pinged somewhere in the room, and Rhodey said, “Steve says he’s here. They’re on their way up.”

A few minutes later, Steve Rogers entered the room, with a tall, blonde teen a few steps behind him.

“Damn,” whispered Shuri to the girls. “It’s a cute guy.”

Harley quirked an eyebrow at her, but he quickly turned his attention to Peter.

“Fancy seeing you here, Darlin’,” he said.

“Cute _southern_ guy,” Lila whispered to Shuri, perhaps too quiet for Harley to hear, but all those with superhearing in the room could hear her clear as day.

“Darling?” asked Cassie. “Is there something you’re not telling us, Peter?”

“Uh, well…” Peter began. “This is my boyfriend, Harley.”

“I KNEW IT!” cried Shuri.

“Eeeeek!” Lila squealed.

“Damn,” said Cassie, looking Harley up and down. “Do you have any brothers?”

“Uh, no…” said Harley.

“So you DO know him,” said Rhodey to Tony. 

“Yeah, I just can’t get anything past you, can I?” Tony said sarcastically.

Steve cleared his throat. “Well, now that we’re all here, I suppose we should start with some quick introductions.”

“We all know each other already,” said Cassie.

“Harley doesn’t know everyone,” Bucky said.

“I mean, you’re all pretty famous,” said Harley. “It’s easy to figure out who everyone is.”

“Right, well,” Steve sighed. “But I do think this is a good time for each of you to formally introduce yourselves to everyone, with your superhero names, starting with the two who already have supersonas. You can list your skills, too, since your teammates will need to know what your strengths are.”

“Fine,” said Wanda. “I’m Wanda Maximoff, otherwise known as Scarlet Witch. I have telekinetic and telepathic powers.”

“So, you can control people’s minds?” asked Cassie.

Wanda glanced at Clint, who Bruce had been translating for.

“Yes, and she’s very good at it,” Clint signed, looking a little annoyed with the memory, despite how close he and Wanda were now.

“Your turn,” said Wanda to Peter.

“Uh, I’m Peter Parker, and Spider-Man, which you all know already,” said Peter.

“Yeah, but you’ve never really told us everything you can do,” said Cassie. 

“Okay, um… I have an extremely fast healing factor, metabolism, and reflexes… super hearing, super strength, super sight, and… I can climb walls.”

“Don’t forget your spidey sense,” said Tony.

“That, too,” said Peter. “I can sense when there’s danger nearby.”

“What about your webs and swinging from building to building?” asked Harley. 

“That’s not a power,” said Peter. “I built my web-shooters.”

Harley looked impressed, and Peter prayed to every God in the known universe that he wasn’t blushing, including Thor.

“Alright, and now for the newest members,” said Steve, turning to the girls.

“As Princess of Wakanda,” said Shuri. “I nominate Tall, Blonde, and Southern Drawl to go first.”

“No, you’re going first, Shuri,” said Steve. 

Shuri rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’m Shuri. The Black Panther is my brother, and my superpersona will be ‘The Warrior’. I’m a scientist, but I’m skilled in combat as well.”

“That’s pretty cool,” said Lila. 

“Thanks,” said Shuri. “Your turn.”

“Um, Lila Barton,” said Lila. “Hawkeye is actually my dad, and I’ll be know as ‘Phoenix’. I’m an archer and a bit of an acrobat. I know some martial arts, too.”

“And I’m Cassie Lang. My dad is Antman, and I will be ‘Bumblebee’. I actually have the ability to change size like my parents.”

Peter was impressed with all of their names. The Warrior, Phoenix and Bumblebee were perfect for each of their respective personalities.

“I suppose it’s my turn, then,” said Harley. “I’m Harley Keener, and I’ll be known as the Iron Knight. As for my skills… I’m a mechanic.”

Peter glanced at Tony, unsure why Harley would have such a similar superhero name to his father. 

Then, like a bolt of lightning, it finally hit him. Someday, Tony, and the rest of the Avengers, would retire. Was Tony already preparing his successor? Had he always known it would be Harley? 

For a moment, Peter wondered if he should be jealous. After all, it was surely Peter, or at the very least, Morgan, who should inherit the Iron Hero title. 

But Peter wasn’t the least bit upset. He was already Spider-Man. He’d made a name for himself, even before meeting Tony Stark. And Harley, Peter thought, had known Tony for much longer than he had. They had a special relationship, and Harley deserved some piece of Tony’s legacy.

“Great,” said Steve, snapping Peter out of his thoughts. “Before we do anything else, I’m going to give you all a tour of the facility. Most of the layout has changed, and the east wing, which is for the six of you, is completely new.”

Tony ruffled Peter’s hair in farewell as Steve made his way to the doorway. As every fiber of Peter’s being buzzed with excitement, he followed the first Avenger out of the room.


	21. Now You Know Me, And I'm Not Afraid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Motions dramatically to a butterfly labelled 'Peter & Tony fic'* 
> 
> Is THIS art?

The other Avengers had all dispersed after the initial introduction, and it was in the training rooms that they found Bucky and Sam. While Sam boxed with a dummy, Bucky lifted an impossibly heavy load of weights.

“Can you lift that much?” Cassie asked Peter.

Peter shrugged. “I mean, I’ve lifted a car before… and a building.”

Harley opened his mouth, but before he could comment, Steve had called their attention again to the locker rooms, making it clear that boys weren’t allowed in the girls, and vice-versa.

“I think you should be more concerned about separating the boys from each other than from us,” Lila commented. 

Steve then showed them the medical wing, and introduced them to Dr. Helen Cho. 

Wanda looked increasingly bored as they continued through a hallway of offices, where some unnamed lawyers were talking to Scott and Clint.

At the end of the hall was an elevator that took them down to the basement, where they found the labs. Tony, Bruce, and Carol didn’t look at all out of place amongst the screens, holograms, and technology.

“Hey, kiddos,” Tony greeted them. “Long time no see.”

“Welcome to the cave,” said Carol. She was leaning on a counter, reading something from a tablet. 

“We’re not here for a full tour,” said Steve. “But I’m sure a few of you will get to know the labs very well.”

They bid them farewell, and went back upstairs. There were two wings left - the living spaces.

“On your left, that’s the Avengers side. Young Avengers are on the right,” Steve explained. 

“We get a separate dorm?” asked Harley.

“Until you’re full-fledged Avengers, yes,” said Steve.

They stepped inside to a large room, which housed a TV area, a dining table, and a kitchen.

“This is your common room. Your dorms are down the hall. You’ll be sharing, of course, and - Rhodey, what are you doing here?” asked Steve.

Rhodey had just emerged from the aforementioned hallway leading to their rooms. “Last minute room changes. No one told me the boys were dating. The rest of us agreed it would be inappropriate for them to share a room, especially considering one is eighteen, and the other is not.”

“I’m nineteen,” Harley corrected.

“That… doesn’t help,” said Wanda.

Peter was certain he was blushing now, and he tried very hard not to meet anyone’s eyes.

“And I think I should tell you, Peter,” said Rhodey. “Your dad had nothing to do with this decision.”

“Uh, okay,” said Peter, still embarrassed.

“So, who have you paired together instead?” asked Steve.

“I thought I’d get the kids’ opinions,” Rhodey told him.

“Is that another way of saying you have no idea?” 

“Shut up, Rogers.”

“It’s simple,” said Shuri. “Peter and I can be roommates. Then Lila and Cassie, since they’re besties. And that leaves Wanda and Harley, who are both over eighteen.”

“Will your brother be okay with that?” asked Steve.

“Of course he will,” said Shuri. “Peter’s gay. What’s he going to do?”

“Alright, then, that’ll work,” said Rhodey. “I’ll go change the name plates.”

“Thanks,” said Steve. “Well, that’s the end of the tour. You have until dinner time to settle in. After dinner, you can explore the compound, but during these training sessions, you’re only allowed to leave in the company of an Avenger. And if you go down to the labs, don’t go past the doors labelled ‘danger’. For obvious reasons.”

The teens glanced at each other before promising to follow the rules.

“And don’t burn anything in the kitchen,” Rhodey added, having finished his job. “It takes ages to get rid of the smell.”

As soon as they were gone, Shuri turned to Wanda. “What’s behind the ‘danger’ doors?”

“It’s not all dangerous,” said Wanda. “All of the weapons and untested equipment are back there. The gauntlet is, too. But the stones have been returned to their timelines, so it’s sort of useless now. Things too dangerous for the Avengers Museum are stored there.”

“So no aliens or anything?” asked Harley.

Wanda looked thoughtful. “Does Thor count as an alien?”

“No… wait, yes? Maybe…” Lila said. “He’s not from Earth, but he looks so human.”

They continued to talk and joke as they unpacked. Wanda didn’t need to, but she still hung around to share tidbits about the Avengers and living in the compound. 

“So are you mad that you go demoted?” asked Cassie.

“Not really,” said Wanda. “I was only a real Avenger for a short time, and then I was on the run. It’s been nice being here with them again. They’re the only family I have now, after losing my brother and Vision.”

“It was so unfair when they locked up my dad,” said Lila.

“After the fight?” asked Peter.

“Yeah…” she said. “But don’t worry. I don’t blame your dad. I just… really missed them. And since Auntie Natasha and Daddy were on different sides, she stopped coming to visit. Last time I saw her was Christmas so many years ago.”

The others listened as she continued her story.

“And then, we got dusted and we came back, and Daddy wasn’t there. When he got back he told us what had happened, and I could believe we’d been gone for five years. There was something different about him, and I don’t know what he did during that time. It must have been tough without us. But the hardest part was hearing that Auntie Natasha was gone forever.”

“It was really hard,” said Cassie. “Being a survivor, I mean. When everyone just started vanishing… it was terrifying. I felt so lost in the chaos, and I just wanted my mom or dad to come home. My grandma took me in, so I wasn’t completely alone. That day, five years later, when I opened the door and my dad was there, I thought I was dreaming. And I think he thought the same, because he looked like he was dreaming.”

“Because you were all grown up,” said Harley. 

“Exactly,” said Cassie. “Did you lose your family, too?” 

Harley nodded. “My mom and sister. I went to live with my uncle. They’re back now, of course, but neither of them has really accepted what happened. And my mom isn’t okay with some of my… life choices.”

“I don’t know what’s worse,” said Shuri. “Being one of the Vanished, or one of the Survivors.”

“I think both are pretty bad,” said Cassie. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like to come back and be told you’d been gone for five years.”

“What about you, Peter?” asked Lila. “You were on a different planet, weren’t you?”

“Titan,” said Peter. “It was, uh, Thanos’ home planet. I… sorry… I just…”

“It’s alright,” said Wanda. “You don’t have to talk about it.”

Peter nodded gratefully as Harley put an arm around his shoulders.

An hour later, the Young Avengers crossed the divide to the Avengers side, and gathered around the table. Peter sat between Tony and Harley, feeling more and more at ease as the evening went on. 

After dinner, the two boys followed Tony back to the lab, where Harley raved over Peter’s web shooter designs, adding one of two improvements. Peter had expected to feel a little jealous about Harley and Tony’s relationship, but he found himself enjoying their banter, and joining in. 

It was a perfect night, only made better by the sweet kiss Harley gave him before they parted ways to their now separate dorm rooms.

“G’night, Darlin’,” Harley whispered.

“Night, Harley,” said Peter, entering his dark room and quickly finding his bed.


	22. And I Wanna Tell You Who I Am

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finally figured out Lila and Cassie's personalities. 
> 
> Also, I know I'm tired because I was using the thesaurus for every other word and backspacing constantly because of typos. I don't know why I can't do late nights anymore. I'm not getting old, am I? *Frantically checks hair for grey streaks*
> 
> Relax, read, and review! (That's what I used to say on fanfic, but here it's called "comments" not review, so...)
> 
> Good night!

“Why does Thor look so happy?” asked Harley, as the six of them entered the gym the next morning, all dressed in matching black, lightly-armored suits. 

“Because he’s in charge of the first part of the training session,” said Sam.

“Is that why we weren’t allowed to eat breakfast yet?” asked Shuri. On cue, several of their stomachs growled.

Thor stepped forward. “Welcome, young Midgardians! Are you prepared to show us your physical prowess, dexterity, and expertise in combat?”

“Suddenly feeling a little less prepared, actually,” whispered Lila. 

Cassie sniggered, and Wanda rolled her eyes.

“Rabbit!” Thor called. “Is it ready?”

“Define ‘ready,’” said Rocket, from a doorway none of the Young Avengers (except Wanda, maybe), had been through yet.

“Excellent,” said Thor, ignoring Rocket’s response. “Follow me, now. Your first task is through this door.”

“Are you kidding me?” cried Cassie as they entered the new room. 

Towering before them was a series of platforms of varying heights. One was moving up and down. Another was only accessible via a narrow bridge. At the back of the room, on the highest platform, were several small domes. It looked very much like a video game.

The lowest platforms, at the beginning of the obstacle course, were well over seven feet tall, and Peter wondered how Shuri, Harley, and Lila were supposed to climb it.

“Is that our breakfast up there?” asked Lila, eyeing the silver domes.

“We thought you might need some motivation,” said Rocket.

“Complete the obstacle course, and you will be rewarded,” said Thor.

“And if we don’t make it?” asked Harley.

“You’ll have to wait until lunch,” said Rocket with a shrug.

“WHAT?” cried Shuri, eyes wide.

“Well, if you’re that hungry, you’d better get started,” Rocket said, pulling out a set of cards and dealing a hand to himself and Thor at a small table in the corner.

Peter and his friends looked up at the domes longingly. 

It was Wanda who moved first, taking a running start, jumping up and getting a hold on the lowest platform. She heaved herself up and stood, looking back, beckoning the rest of them.

_No rules…_ said a voice in Peter’s head. _No time limit. No one said we can’t help each other._

They looked at each other, all of them realizing that Wanda was right.

Peter and Cassie quickly took up a position below Wanda’s platform. Together, they gave Shuri, Harley and Lila a boost upwards. One by one, Wanda caught their arm and steadied them. 

Then Cassie shrunk herself, holding onto Peter’s shoulder-pad, while Peter hoisted himself up. 

They glanced back at Thor and Rocket, but neither seemed to have noticed their strategy.

“Let’s go,” Wanda whispered.

Up the platforms they climbed, first to the second level, and then the third. At the fourth level they reached the platform that moved up and down. 

“Of course Thor made it like a video-game,” Wanda grumbled. “We’ll have to get our timing perfect.”

“It comes up so fast that it would probably propel us into the air,” Shuri noted. “Which would be great for the three of you, but we wouldn’t be able to orient ourselves in midair.”

“Make that the two of them,” said Cassie. “I’ve never done anything like this. I’m not even that great becoming giant. Just small.”

“We can do it,” said Peter. “If we jump onto it when it’s almost at its highest point. That should prevent us from gaining too much inertia.”

“Like now!” cried Harley, jumping onto the platform before anyone could stop him. 

“I’m going to kill him,” said Peter, fearing that Harley would fly into the air as Shuri had predicted.

But Harley had jumped at the right moment. When the platform reached its highest point, Harley reached up and grabbed the next platform, his feet barely leaving the previous one. He climbed onto the new one as the other dropped back down.

The rest of them followed quickly, and although Shuri got a little airborne, Wanda managed to catch her with her powers and bring her back.

“Why couldn’t you lift all of us up there?” asked Harley.

“Because that would be too easy,” said Wanda. “There are no shortcuts in this business.”

Peter led the way across a narrow bridge to the next platform.

“Oh, look, a foam pit in case one of us falls,” Shuri said. “At least the gym meets safety codes.”

“The bridge has no rails, Shuri,” said Cassie. “I wouldn’t classify it as safe.”

“At least there’s no flying projectiles,” said Lila.

At that moment, Peter reached the end of the bridge and climbed up to the sixth level. When he stood up, small holes opened in the walls on either side, and large barrels protruded from them. 

Peter ducked as an oddly shaped object flew over his head. 

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” cried Cassie again.

The others joined Peter on the sixth level. 

“How do we cross?” asked Wanda. 

The only thing connecting the platforms this time was a single, thin rope.

“Anyone ever tight-roped before?” asked Shuri.

“We could do the sloth crawl,” said Lila. 

“Gah!” Cassie cried as one of the projectiles hit her in the chest. Losing her balance, she flailed for a moment before Harley grabbed her belt and steadied her.

Peter picked up the projectile, now realizing why it was such a strange shape. “A teddy bear? Really?”

“How dare they,” Shuri muttered.

“So… what’s the sloth crawl?” asked Harley, eyeing the rope.

“You know, when you hang from the rope like a sloth hangs from a branch,” Lila explained. 

“Except we’ll have to move much faster than a sloth,” said Cassie. “Those teddy bears must be filled with sand. They hurt like hell.”

“And I don’t suppose you’ll catch us if we fall?” asked Peter, glancing at Wanda.

Wanda shook her head. “There’s no danger if you fall this time. It’s a foam pit at the bottom.”

“Let’s go one at a time,” said Peter, kneeling and taking a hold of the rope.

Upside down, they each scooted themselves along the rope to the other side. There were several close calls, including a moment when Harley was hanging from the rope by one hand because he’d been hit twice in a row by a sand-bear.

But they had seemingly made it through the hardest part of the course, and they were growing hungrier by the minute.

“Phew,” said Lila. “Lucky there were no-”

Cassie clapped a hand over her mouth. “Don’t jinx it.”

They climbed the last few levels and reached the top and final platform, where six silver cloches lay on a table with six chairs.

“Are we supposed to eat here?” asked Shuri.

“How are we going to get back down?” asked Cassie.

“I won’t be going back on an empty stomach,” said Harley, sitting down in a chair and lifting a cloche.

“Pancakes!” cried Lila, quickly joining him. “Pass the syrup.”

The others shrugged and sat down, too.

A sudden whirring noise caught their attention as the entire platform lurched and began to descend slowly.

“Well, that solves one problem,” said Lila, cutting her pancakes. “And this solves another.”

She happily took a bite of syrupy pancake.

“Pancakes are the greatest colonizer invention,” Shuri noted.

They were now level with the floor, as were the rest of the platforms.

“Congratulations,” said Steve, standing with Sam and Bucky near another door. “You all made it.”

“Yeah, and we’re not falling for the no-breakfast thing again,” said Wanda. 

“You can pry these pancakes from my cold, dead hands,” Lila growled.

Peter and the others gave her a concerned look.

“She only gets like this when she’s hungry, don’t worry,” Cassie assured them. 

“I’ll let Bruce know his pancakes were… appreciated,” said Steve. “Anyways, we were watching you all through the cameras, and each of you has been given an individual score based on the abilities, dexterity, and ingenuity you showed in this task.”

“Your scores are on display in the main gym, which is also where your next task is,” said Bucky. “Meet us there in twenty minutes.”

Twenty minutes later, the six of them stood in front of a screen that displayed their scores:  
Wanda - 9  
Peter - 9  
Lila - 7  
Shuri - 6  
Cassie - 6  
Harley - 5

“There’s five columns, so four more tasks,” said Shuri. “Did I really do that badly?”

“Don’t take it too hard,” said Sam. “Peter and Wanda’s performances were exceptional, but that’s mostly due to their experience and superhuman abilities. Wanda displayed some leadership encouraging you all to work together.”

“How did you know about that?” asked Peter.

“She asked me first,” said Thor. “With her telepathy.”

“Anyways, Cassie also has a superhuman ability,” Steve added. “But the one time she used it was to piggy-back on Peter’s shoulder. And while she and Peter displayed good teamwork at the very beginning, she was almost knocked off a platform by a teddy-bear later, which cost her some points.”

“Lila actually displayed some incredible physical abilities, and her idea on how to cross the rope helped the entire team,” Sam explained. “So she scored pretty well.”

“As for you, Shuri,” said Bucky. “You and Peter puzzled out how to cross the moving platform. Your physical dexterity, though, was a bit lacking.”

“And Harley, your reflexes allowed you to save Cassie from falling,” Steve said. “But you also rushed onto the moving platform. While speed and bravery are necessary traits for a superhero, so is caution. You saved yourself on the rope, which took some considerable upper body strength, so, nice job.”

“Now, let’s get started with the remaining tasks,” said Sam. “The next three tasks involve combat. First is hand-to-hand combat. Shuri, Lila, and Harley will spar with me. Peter, Cassie, and Wanda will spar with Bucky. Thor and Steve will be the judges. And there will be no teamwork or powers allowed this time.”

“After that, you’ll do some armed hand-to-hand combat,” said Bucky. “with the same people and rules, but you’ll be allowed a training knife, nunchucks, and bo staff.”

Sam nodded. “The last of the combat tasks will be on the firing range. You’ll have a choice between a sniper rifle… and a bow and arrow. You’ll have a total of ten targets to hit.”

“Yes!” Lila punched the air.

“Finally, we’ll end the day in the flight lab, where you’ll each take a turn on the flight simulator,” said Bucky. “Now, let’s get started.”

Knowing he would not be able to help his friends anymore, Peter focused on his own tasks.

His first sparring match didn’t go very well. Bucky was strong and far more experienced. Peter held out as long as he could, but Bucky inevitably won.

“Don’t worry,” Bucky said, helping him up. “They’re not judging you based on whether you won. It’s the skill you show. And I don’t really intend on losing. To any of you.”

Peter did much better with the bo staff, using it to propel himself into the air. His speed was his only advantage over Bucky. He still didn’t win, but that was because the timer had run out. Steve had begun setting a ten-minute timer for the armed combat matches after Sam and Shuri’s first match went on for over twenty minutes.

After lunch, Peter chose a bow and arrow for the target range. He had no experience with a sniper rifle. In elementary school, his P.E. class had taught archery for a few weeks, and he vaguely remembered the lessons. 

Unfortunately, he only hit one of the ten targets.

He fared no better in the flight simulator, crashing within sixty seconds.

“No offense, Peter,” said Sam, sitting next to him. “But I’m glad this wasn't a real plane.”

Peter was silently thankful for the dark lighting in the simulator, so Sam couldn’t see his face turning red.

The rest of the scores were displayed all at once before dinner time.

Hand-to-Hand Combat  
Wanda - 8  
Peter - 10  
Lila - 8  
Shuri - 9  
Cassie - 8  
Harley - 7

Armed Combat  
Wanda - 9  
Peter - 10  
Lila - 8  
Shuri - 6  
Cassie - 5  
Harley - 7

Ranged Combat  
Wanda - 7  
Peter - 1  
Lila - 10  
Shuri - 8  
Cassie - 7  
Harley - 10

Flight Simulator  
Wanda - 10  
Peter - 2  
Lila - 2  
Shuri - 10  
Cassie - 2  
Harley - 10

“Damn, Harley, where did you learn to fly?” asked Shuri.

“Video games,” said Harley, scratching his head.

“I suppose that’s where you learned to shoot, too?” asked Cassie.

“Yeah,” said Harley.

“Lila taught me a bit about archery,” said Cassie. “That’s the only reason I did so well.”

“As you can see, there are a few areas each of you needs to focus on,” said Steve. “However, there’s always room for improvement, even in those areas you received a ten in.”

“You’ve all done well today,” said Sam. “Tomorrow morning, you’ll be in the lab with the nerds, working on your suits, and you’ll have the afternoon to rest before you return home. You can return to your dorm now. You’ll have dinner there tonight.”

“Don’t forget to stretch,” said Bucky. “Or you won’t be able to move tomorrow.”

“Good tip,” Shuri muttered. “Let’s go, Spidey.” She grabbed Peter by the arm and dragged him towards the door. The others followed.

Back in the lounge, Wanda led them through a relaxing yoga routine before they all headed off to shower and change into more relaxing clothes.

As they all sat down at the dining table, Cassie groaned.

“Is this what dying feels like?” she asked.

“No, it’s a lot dustier,” said Peter.

The others looked at him with wide eyes.

“Shit…” said Peter, realizing what he’d said. “I… I didn’t mean that as a joke. I mean, well, I have died before, and it was…”

“Dusty?” offered Harley.

The tension broke suddenly as they all burst into laughter.

“Shut up, Southern Drawl,” Peter said, nudging his boyfriend playfully.

“So, there’s a couple gaming consoles over there,” said Shuri. “Let’s play a multiplayer before we go to bed.”

“I’m in,” said Peter. 

“Me, too,” cried Lila and Cassie together.

“Sure,” said Harley.

Wanda shrugged. “Why not?”


	23. Can You Help Me Be A Man?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished with finals so I could work on this. 
> 
> Aaaannnddd for those Harry Potter fans out there, after you're finished with this chapter, you can swing on over to my friend leahcar260's page and read her fantastic story, McGonagall's Girl. You can find it right here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14593176/chapters/33725778
> 
> It's one of my favorite stories on AO3 (though I may be a bit biased), and she just updated it a few days ago.
> 
> Also  
> Attention fellow fanfic readers: You're invited to the Discord Server Beta On It: https://discord.gg/7u7qvBU. Here you can interact with me, my beta and fellow ficwriter Leahcar260, and other readers. Come join us!

“That’ll be $10.64,” said the cashier. 

“Thanks,” said Harley, paying and grabbing his bag of groceries. With a yawn, he set out for his apartment. Thank God it was only a three-minute walk. Even in early December, the streets of New York were chilly.

It was just as he rounded the corner that he heard his name.

“Harley?” said a somewhat familiar voice. “Hey, Harley Keener!”

Harley turned and immediately recognized the other man. “Jack?”

Jack Cochran had been his best friend in middle and high school, having both been misfits. But after graduation, they’d lost touch. Harley had gone to New York, and Jack… had gone through losing his grandmother alone. Harley had made it a point at first to text him once a week, but Jack eventually stopped replying, so Harley had stopped texting.

“How’ve you been, man?” Jack asked, holding out his fist for a fist bump. “I heard you’d gone to New York, too, but I didn’t expect to run into you. This place is way too big.”

“I like it,” said Harley, making a split second decision. He wasn’t doing anything important this evening, and he hadn’t seen any of his friends from Rose Hill in so long… “Hey, if you’re not busy, why don’t you come with me to my place? It’s a few blocks away. I’ve got hot chocolate.”

Jack shrugged. “Sure, we can catch up.”

A few minutes later, Harley opened the door to his studio apartment. 

“Damn, this place is way nicer than mine. How do you afford it?” asked Jack.

“Paid internship at Stark Industries,” Harley replied, unpacking his grocery bag.

“Stark Industries?” Jack repeated, sitting down on the couch. “Man, if the boys back home could see this, they’d probably take back everything they’ve ever said about you.”

“You mean the part about being a gay fairy or a nerd?” asked Harley.

Jack laughed. “Probably just the nerd part. It’s no wonder you wanted to leave. Bunch of dicks, all of ‘em.”

Harley put the last of his groceries away and offered a soda to his friend. “So what brings you to the big city?”

“Travel,” said Jack, taking the soda gratefully. “Exploration… discovery.”

Harley quirked an eyebrow at him. 

“No, really,” said Jack. “I’ve been travelling every chance I get. It’s what my Me-maw always wanted to do. Now that she’s gone, I’m living out her dream.”

“If I remember correctly, it was both your dreams to see the world,” said Harley. 

“Yeah, but we thought we’d do it together,” said Jack. “We just never had the money, with all the bills and me… at least she saw me graduate high school.”

“Yeah… but how do you pay for it?” asked Harley.

“Odd jobs here and there. I live out of my truck, so I don’t really have any bills or anything,” Jack explained. “Man, working at the mechanic’s in high school was the best idea you ever forced me to do. I don’t think I could afford to take her in for a tune-up all the time and still travel like I do.”

Harley chuckled. “You’re welcome.”

“So, what about you? Still in college?” asked Jack.

“Yeah… classes and my internship keep me pretty busy,” said Harley.

“How does your mom feel about you being so far away?”

Harley shrugged. “She doesn’t care. She disowned me. And so did my sister.”

Jack’s eyes widened. “Oh… Damn, I had no idea.”

“It’s a long story,” said Harley. “The only reason I go back to Rose Hill anymore is to see my uncle.”

“Oh, yeah, I heard about that,” said Jack. “How are you holding up?”

“What do you mean?” Harley asked.

“Your uncle? No one told you about your uncle?”

Harley shook his head in confusion. “You’re the first person I’ve talked to from Rose Hill since the Blip, Jack. What are you talking about?”

“Your uncle died, Harley. He was killed in a car accident three months ago,” Jack told him.

“What?!” cried Harley, his soda falling from his hands. He barely noticed the fizzy drink pooling at his feet.

“Harley? Damn, Harley, I’m so sorry,” said Jack. “Is… is there anyone I can call?”

Harley didn’t answer, unable to process anything. Uncle Brandon was dead, and no one, not even his mother or sister, had bothered to tell him. He held his head in his hands, the world dissolving around him.

“Harley?” said a new voice, startling him.

“Peter?” Harley said. Peter was next to him, watching him with concern. “How did you…?”

“I called him,” said Jack. “He was the last person you called and there was a little heart next to his name, so I thought… he might be able to help.”

“Jack told me what happened,” said Peter. “What can I do?”

“She has my phone number,” said Harley. “But she didn’t even bother to tell me. She didn’t even try. What did I ever do to her to make her hate me so much?!”

He felt a hand on his back, tentatively rubbing back and forth. It quelled his anger, but only a little.

“I’m sorry,” said Jack, sounding far away. “I thought he knew.”

“It’s not your fault,” said Peter. “You did the right thing.”

“You’re his boyfriend, right?” 

“Yeah,” said Peter. “Thank you for calling me. Do you need a ride home?”

“No, I’ll be alright. My car isn’t far. Harley, I’ll keep in touch this time, okay? I promise.”

Harley nodded, but remained silent. 

The door opened and closed.

“I’m here, Harley,” said Peter, wrapping his arms around him. 

“I know,” said Harley, leaning into the smaller boy.

* * *

“You don’t have to come, you know,” said Harley.

Tony didn’t answer, merely sitting down across from him and opening his laptop.

Next to him, Peter was sorting a pack of M&M’s.

Neither made a move to exit the plane.

Tony looked at Peter and rolled his eyes. “Don’t you think you should wait until the plane takes off? M&M’s roll, you know.”

Peter froze. “Crap.”

Harley chuckled, watching Tony help Peter return the M&M’s to their sealable bag.

“Holy shit.”

Harley looked behind him. Jack was staring in awe at the interior of the private jet. “Come on in, Jack.”

“Yeah, come on in and take a seat,” said Tony. 

“Holy shit, you’re-”

“Tony Stark, nice to meet you, Jack.”

“You too, sir,” said Jack, sitting down next to Harley. 

“And you’ve already met my son, Peter,” said Tony. Peter waved, still looking for a place to stash his M&M’s before take off.

“Your son?” Jack asked, before turning to Harley. “You’re dating Tony Stark’s son?”

“Yeah, that was my reaction when I found out, too,” said Harley. “We met at in college.”

The pilot came on the intercom just then to announce the plane was taking off. They all buckled in.

Peter took a noticeable deep breath and held his M&M’s close to his chest with one hand as the plane rolled forward.

“It’s alright,” Tony assured him, laying a hand over his son’s.

Harley turned away to look out the window. The world outside was a blur.

And then, finally, they were in the air.

“Next stop, Tennessee,” said Tony, before returning to his laptop.

Peter soon managed to sort all of his M&M’s by color and eat them, much to Harley’s amusement.

Jack remained starstruck for the entirety of the plane ride, but even he grew silent. 

Harley didn’t have much to say.

The night before, Harley had told Tony he wanted to go to Rose Hill to visit his uncle’s grave. Tony had simply nodded and said he’d make the arrangements. 

And now they were on their way there.

The next several hours were a blur for Harley. After landing at the airport, a private car took them to Rose Hill. 

The car stopped at the inn first, where they dropped off their bags. Then it took them straight to Harley’s uncle’s house, where his mother and sister lived.

“That’s my Me-maw’s old house,” said Jack to Peter as they drove by an old ranch home. “I sold it after she passed. Packed my truck with all the stuff I cared about and left this hellhole.”

Harley was grateful to Jack for giving Peter a semi-tour of their hometown. He’d never even considered the fact that Peter had never been here before.

“That’s where we went to school,” Jack said. “And there’s our old church. We never really paid attention in Bible school. Only thing I remember is John 3:16.”

“What’s that?” asked Peter.

“For God so loved the world,” said Harley. “That He gave His only begotten son, for whoever so believed in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”

“You remember that?” said Peter.

“In this town, it was more important than the Pledge of Allegiance,” said Harley. “Look, there’s the old man Rodger’s shop. We worked for him in high school. Best mechanic this side of the Mississippi.”

“Hey, I take personal offense to that,” said Tony.

“And there’s the cemetery,” said Jack.

Peter took Harley’s hand and squeezed it as they passed the old cemetery. Even Tony stayed quiet out of respect. 

A few minutes later, they turned onto a side street and into his uncle’s driveway. Christmas lights hung all around.

Harley marched up to the door and twisted the knob. It turned, and he swung the door open.

“I’M HOME, MOM!” He shouted.

“What the hell?” cried his sister, staring at him in shock. “Harley?”

“Harley?” cried his mother from the kitchen. She hurried into the living room. “What are you doing here? You couldn’t even bother to call ahead?”

“Why? You didn’t call,” said Harley. “When were you gonna tell me that the only man in Rose Hill that ever gave a damn about me was dead?”

His mother stared at him in shock, and then her face hardened. “What would you care? You left first chance you got.”

“I left because you refused to speak to me. You wouldn’t even look at me last time I was here,” said Harley. “And why? Because I’m older than you remember? Because I’m gay? Because I look too much like Dad?”

“Don’t talk about that bastard in front of me,” his mother growled.

“I’ll talk about whatever I want to,” said Harley. “I’m an adult. I have that right. Just like I have a right to know when someone I love is killed in a car accident.”

“You walked out, just like your father,” she said.

“Yeah? That’s what you wanna call being disowned?” asked Harley. “Well, I think I finally understand why Dad left you. He finally saw you for the horrible, heartless person you really are.”

“Get out!” his mother shouted. “You are not welcome here!”

“I live here!” Harley shouted back. “I lived here before you came back. And I wanted to keep living here, but you made me feel like I didn’t belong. Well, you’ve gone too far now. Uncle Brandon was the only family I felt like I had left, and you didn’t even give me a chance to say goodbye!”

Harley had tears in his eyes, and his voice was cracking a little, but he didn’t care. He’d had no idea what he was going to say to his mother until he was standing in front of her.

“I SAID GET OUT!”

“NO!” Harley shouted, slamming the side of his fist into the shiplap wall next to him. It hurt, but not as much as his mother’s words did.

The wall trembled, and a portrait fell to the ground, the glass shattering.

“I’m calling the police,” said his mother.

“Go ahead,” Harley spat. 

“What’s this?” asked Tony. He, Peter, and Jack had appeared behind him. Tony knelt down and pulled a piece of paper out from under the photograph of his uncle.

Harley’s mother gasped. “Don’t touch that!”

“I, Brandon Merle Buford, do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament,” Tony read aloud.

He read the rest of it silently. Harley wondered why it had been hidden in the portrait. Surely Uncle Brandon wouldn’t have hidden it there himself?

Tony looked up at Harley’s mother, who now had a phone in her hand. “Exactly when were you going to tell Harley that his uncle left everything to him?”

Everything clicked at once. The room was so quiet that you could have heard a pin hit the floor.

It was Olivia that broke the silence. “Aren’t you… Tony Stark?”

“Tony,” said Harley, staring his mother down. She looked extremely nervous under his gaze. “Get me a goddamn lawyer.”

He turned on his heel and stormed out the door, not bothering to look back.

* * *

“There’s a Ford truck,” said Mr. Freyer. “And, of course, the house on Perch Street. And apparently a considerable amount of money. Mr. Buford didn’t use much of what he inherited from his parents.”

Harley nodded silently, reading the will over again. Freyer was the best practicing attorney in the county, and knew his uncle’s attorney quite well.

“Just out of curiosity here,” Tony said. “Did he have the right to write his sister and niece out of the will?”

Mr. Freyer nodded. “It’s his will. He can choose whatever he wishes with his wealth and assets, including giving it all to one person. If he had children of his own, they could possibly challenge the will, but he doesn’t. Mrs. Keener and Olivia Keener are powerless to fight it.”

“I don’t want it,” said Harley. 

“Pardon?” asked Mr. Freyer.

“The house… the truck…” Harley said. “I don’t want them. My mom and sister can keep them.”

“Of course,” said Mr. Freyer. “I’m sure they’ll appreciate it. You’ll have to transfer the deed and titles over to your mother first, but I must encourage you to think carefully about this.”

“I have,” Harley assured him. “There’s a few things I want in the house, and that’s it.”

“And the money?” asked Mr. Freyer. “What would you like to do with it?”

Harley thought for a moment. “Split it into thirds, between me, my mother, and a separate savings account. It’ll be my sister’s college fund in case my mom squanders all her money. Can we do that?”

“Certainly,” said Mr. Freyer. “I’ll start prepping the paperwork.”

A few days later, Harley returned to his uncle’s house. His mother disappeared into her room the moment they arrived, while Olivia hovered in the living room, watching silently as Harley walked around, taking down his favorite photos and mementos. 

He found his own possessions in the attic, packed away surprisingly carefully. He had a feeling Olivia had put his things away. His mother wouldn’t have been so gentle. 

Finally, it was all packed away in the car. Harley took one last look at all of it. This had been his safe haven for so long after he’d lost his mother and sister. But he knew he could never call it home again.

Peter took his hand, and led him out the door to the car.

“Wait!”

Harley looked back to see Olivia running towards him.

“Harley,” said Olivia. “I’m sorry. Mom is… I don’t…”

“It’s okay, Liv,” said Harley.

“No, it’s not,” Olivia replied, tears forming in her eyes. “You’re my big brother and I didn’t stand up for you. I just want you to know… I love you. I’m sorry I haven’t texted you or anything. I guess I was scared you wouldn’t want to talk to me.”

“Of course I do,” said Harley, hugging her, which she returned. “You’re my sister.”

Olivia smiled as they let go of each other. “I also wanted to give you this.”

She held out a Captain America bookmark. On the back was a phone number.

“Whose number is this?” Harley asked.

Olivia glanced at the house. In a low voice, she said, “It’s Dad’s. I found him a couple months ago. He’s been asking about you.”

“Dad?” Harley repeated, shocked.

“According to him, mom kicked him out a long time ago and hasn’t let him talk to us,” Olivia whispered. “You’ll get the whole story from him.”

“What’s he been doing all these years?” asked Harley.

“Oh, you’ll find out,” said Olivia, a real smile on her face. “Just… talk to him, okay?”

Harley smiled back. “I will. See ya, Livs.”

“See ya, Harls,” said Olivia. “And it was nice to meet you, Peter. Thanks for telling me to talk to my brother.”

Harley looked at Peter, who was grinning sheepishly. So that was why Olivia had suddenly worked up the courage to speak to him.

“Bye, Jack. Bye, Mr. Stark,” Olivia said. They bid farewell to her, too.

With one last hug, Olivia turned away.

“Wait, Liv,” said Harley. She paused and looked at him. “Just so you know, you’re always welcome to come see me in New York. And if you ever need me, for anything, just call, okay?”

“Thanks, Harley,” said Olivia. And then she went back in the house.

Harley got in the car feeling a lot better than he’d expected. He had lost his uncle and mother, he still had his sister, and maybe, just maybe, he had his father, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had to summon every bit of anger I've ever felt towards certain members of my family that have pretty much disowned us in order to write Harley's anger. 
> 
> Originally, Olivia was gonna be a bitch, too, but I decided at the last minute to give her a Dudley moment. You're not a waste of space, Harley! 
> 
> Anyways, as you can see, there is a set number of chapters now. I am aiming to finish this story in Chapter 32, but there's quite a bit to wrap up in nine more chapters, which means some might be longer than usual because I'm a perfectionist.


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